Zelensky Says Ukrainian Drone Campaign Aims to Force Russia Into Peace.
On Monday, the explosion of a Ukrainian drone shot down by Russian air defenses left seven people dead and 47 injured on the beach of the Arkhipo-Osipovkaon resort village.
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Air raid sirens did not sound, catching hundreds of families by surprise along the coast in the Gelendzhik district of Russia’s Krasnodar region.
The Operational Headquarters of Krasnodar Krai reported that the seven dead included three children. Another 17 of the 47 people who were also injured had to be hospitalized.
Images on social media show the Ukrainian drone beginning a steep descent before crashing onto the beach, causing an explosion and a blast wave across the sand, where dozens of people were relaxing.
The explosion was recorded by beachgoers on the opposite side of the beach, where dozens of people hurriedly left the water and sought shelter in anticipation of further attacks.
“It was an attack against civilian infrastructure. Emergency services are working at the scene,” Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratiev said.
Earlier, Sergei Aksyonov, the head of the Republic of Crimea, reported the deaths of four other civilians in a Ukrainian overnight attack.
BREAKING:
3 people were killed and 13 others were injured after a drone crashed onto a beach in the Russian city of Gelendzhik.pic.twitter.com/bsNjyYzcOG
— GNX (@Gnx_Gnx1) August 3, 2026
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Terrorism
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that “in the center of Europe operates a terrorist gang that has seized the state apparatus of Ukraine.”
“The sponsors of terrorism are the NATO countries. Not long ago, NATO and the European Union declared zero tolerance for terrorism. Now they themselves are part of the actions of international terrorism,” she said.
According to some media reports, the target of the Ukrainian attack was a hotel used as a recreation facility for specialists and engineers from a Russian military industry company.
During a meeting with ambassadors in Kiev on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country’s goal is to make Russia stop the fighting before the arrival of the harsh winter.
The chosen method, drone attacks against Russia’s rear areas, seeks to leave Moscow with no alternative but peace because of the high cost of the war, he acknowledged.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: EFE
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