SEVEN KILLED AS DRONE STRIKES BEACH IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA

A drone struck a busy beach on the Russian Black Sea coast on Monday, killing at least seven people including three children, according to Russian authorities. Another 40 people were injured in the incident near the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka in the Krasnodar region. Video footage verified by the BBC shows the drone hurtling towards a cliffside before crashing into a fireball on the beach as tourists watched from the shore and water. Seventeen people were hospitalised following the explosion, local governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.

Kondratyev accused Ukraine of launching "a deliberate strike on civilians", whilst Ukraine has not commented on the incident. Both sides have repeatedly denied targeting civilians deliberately. Accounts of what preceded the impact vary: some Ukrainian Telegram channels claimed electronic warfare jammed the drone's signal, whilst several eyewitnesses quoted by Russian media reported gunfire before the explosion, suggesting Russian air defences may have attempted to shoot the drone down. Arkhipo-Osipovka is a popular holiday destination for Russians on the warm Black Sea coast, particularly since international sanctions have restricted overseas travel for many Russians.

The strike occurred as Ukraine has increased long-range drone operations deep into Russian territory in recent months, targeting energy infrastructure and commercial facilities it characterises as military-related. Russia reported that eight people in different cities were killed in Ukrainian strikes over the weekend. Separately, Russian forces have launched attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reporting that at least nine people were killed and dozens injured in Russian ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv on Saturday.