On August 3 local time, a popular beach in the village of Alkhipov-Osipovka, located in the city of Glinyjik, Krasnodar Krai, southern Russia, was struck by a Ukrainian drone. The incident resulted in 7 deaths, including 3 children.
Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said that the total number of casualties has reached 47, with 17 people hospitalized. Currently, the local government has dispatched a professional medical disaster response team to the explosion site.
Video Screenshot
A video from a social media platform verified by the BBC shows a drone diving towards the cliff, then crashing onto the beach below and detonating, creating a fireball. Tourists on the shore and in the water witnessed this scene firsthand.
According to CNN's analysis of the footage, several seconds before the explosion, the recording revealed at least three sounds of automatic gunfire. As the gunfire erupted, the drone suddenly made a sharp turn, followed by a dive into the beach. The drone appeared to have flown over the Russian radar facilities located to the west of the crash site.
Alkhipov-Ossipovka village’s tourists and residents told local media that there was no siren noise before the drone attack. One holidaymaker said, “We covered ourselves with chaise lounges; we didn’t see where it exploded.”
Another person said that although they did not see the drone being hit, they could hear “gunfire, like machine gun fire”, followed by explosions.
The third interviewee said, “It all happened in front of my child. My child is going through a mental breakdown.”
Some Ukrainian television channels claimed that the reason for the drone’s fall was electronic warfare interference with the drone’s signals, causing it to crash onto the beach. At the same time, Russian media quoted several witnesses saying that gunfire occurred before the explosion, indicating that Russia’s air defense system might have attempted to shoot down the drone.
The target of the drone attack is still uncertain. Some reports suggest that the drone may have targeted a Russian naval base in Novorossiysk, which is about 40 kilometers away. It is worth mentioning that the Ukrainian drones are targeting important targets such as the anti-aircraft radars in Gryanjik city and along the coast, as well as the port's fuel supplies.
Regarding this incident, both Russia and Ukraine have responded.
Ukraine's anti-fraud center head, Andrei Kovalyov, issued a statement in response, saying: "These are officers from the Russian air defense forces; they downed drones on crowded beaches inhabited by vacationers." Kovalyov claimed that Ukraine's weapons were directed at Russia's industrial complexes and economic infrastructure, which could affect Russia's ability to sustain the war effort.
Russian military expert Alexey Borkinko believes that the Ukrainian army's attack on the beach in Alkhop-Ausipovka village was an act targeting densely populated civilian areas. Borkinko said, "If success is not possible on the front line, then they try to use terror as a means to compensate for their defeat. This is a tactic used by terrorists, not by the army: bringing war into Russia's interior, hoping that civilians will suffer in exchange for concessions from the leadership."
In July this year, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated. Ukraine launched large-scale attacks on Russian civilian facilities first, and Russia responded with retaliation.
On July 4th local time, a petroleum terminal in Saint Petersburg, the second-largest city in Russia, was attacked by Ukrainian drones. Zelenskyy stated that this action was aimed at targeting energy facilities that provide funding for Russian military operations.
On July 6th, a Ukrainian drone attacked a refinery in Yuzhyn, Russia. The drone flew a straight line over a distance of about 2500 kilometers, setting a new record for the farthest strike.
On the same day, the Ukrainian capital Kiev was attacked by Russia. Several buildings in the city were hit by Russian missiles. This is the second attack on Kiev within a week. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Russian military used long-range high-precision weapons and attack drones, both from air-based, land-based, and sea-based platforms, to carry out these attacks. This is in response to Ukraine’s attacks on civilian infrastructure within Russia’s territory.
The Ukrainian army then targeted Russia's largest logistics facility and e-commerce platform, Wildberries. In the early hours of July 22nd, two important warehouses of Wildberries were bombed: one in Krasnodar and another in Neyvinomesk, Stavropol Krai. Both warehouses caught fire. The Krasnodar warehouse was reportedly hit multiple times, almost completely destroyed, resulting in the death of one employee and injuries to several others.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on August 1 that from the night of July 31 to the early hours of August 1, the Russian armed forces carried out large-scale attacks on several military enterprises and logistics centers in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, as well as in Kyiv Oblast.
AFP reported on August 1 that an analysis based on data from the Ukrainian Air Force indicated that Russia launched a record number of 376 missiles against Ukraine in July. The attacks resulted in at least 377 civilian deaths and 2129 injuries, making July the month with the most civilian casualties since April 2022.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhalalova noted that between July 24th and 31st, Ukrainian drones and artillery strikes resulted in at least 61 deaths and 327 injuries. The drone attack on July 18th also caused at least 8 deaths, making it the most devastating attack reported by Russia in over two years.
Regarding this, UN deputy spokesperson Haak said: "Any attack on civilians and civilian infrastructure, no matter where it occurs, is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and must be stopped immediately."
