Ukraine Drone Blast Kills 7 on Gelendzhik Beach as Russia Launches Retaliatory Strikes
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Aug 4
Ukraine Drone Blast Kills 7 on Gelendzhik Beach as Russia Launches Retaliatory Strikes
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Aug 4
Summary
Seven people, including three children, were killed and 58 injured when a drone exploded on a crowded beach in Gelendzhik on Russia’s Black Sea coast, with video of the blast circulating online.
Russia blamed Ukraine for a deliberate strike on civilians and called it a war crime, while Ukraine stopped short of claiming responsibility and said Russian air defenses brought the drone down onto the beach.
The attack fits Kyiv’s broader campaign to push the war deeper into Russia with strikes on shipping, oil sites, warehouses and ammunition depots, aiming to pressure Moscow toward a settlement.
The blast was followed by Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine, where officials said Russian missile, drone and bomb strikes killed at least 377 civilians in July, the deadliest month since April 2022.