Seven people, including three children and four adults, were killed, while 40 others, including 21 were taken to hospital18:09, 03 Aug 2026Updated 18:43, 03 Aug 2026Drone dive-bombs beach in southern Russia killing touristsAt least seven people have been killed, including three children, AS a "downed" Ukrainian drone crashed and exploded onto sunbathers on a packed Russian beach.‌Forty people were also injured, with 21 of them taken to hospital, as the unmanned device exploded in Arkhipo-Osipovka. The drone was seen dive-bombing onto tourists at the popular beach as temperatures reached 29C.‌Beachgoers have claimed no warning sirens were heard before the incident as some sheltered under sun loungers. A video from the beach on the eastern Black Sea coast shows terrified tourists watching as the light aircraft falls on the beach before exploding.‌People can then be seen fleeing from the sea in panic. "We were on the beach at the time. I'm in complete shock," said one."We were on the beach, didn't have time to leave, hid behind a ledge, covered ourselves with sun loungers, and didn't see where it exploded." Air defence machine gunners were heard seeking to defend the resort from drones as the crippled UAV fell on the tourists.Its real target was not clear but Vladimir Putin’s high-security £1billion Gelenzhik palace is just 17 miles along the coastline. The building boasts a wooden throne and reportedly used to have a striptease stage and pole dancing boudoir. It includes a 16-storey underground complex and bunker, built inside the cliff to withstand nuclear attack. Another witness said: "While we were parking, we saw crowds of people leaving the beach, cars driving away.‌"A friend called me and said we had to turn around and leave because a drone had crashed. We saw a man with a bloody shoulder."A shocked tourist added: "This all happened in front of the children, and the child is having a nervous breakdown." Another said: "We were already home when we heard a barrage of gunfire, like a machine gun, and an explosion. Everything shook.""A tragedy has occurred in Gelenzhik," said Krasnodar regional governor, Veniamin Kondratyev, who suggested that it was drone debris that crashed, indicating the kamikaze plane had been downed. He said: "In the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka, three people were killed, according to preliminary information, due to the crash of drone debris.Article continues below"I extend my sincere condolences to their families and loved ones." A Ukrainian source suggested the hit may have been on a "private resort" for the Russian engineers from rocket-making Mashinostroenie Research and Production Association. There was no immediate official comment.Russian tourists have flocked to the Black Sea coastline of Krasnodar, believing it safer than occupied Crimea, which is now a virtual no-go zone due to a Ukrainian blockade of the peninsula. But the area around Gelendzhik has also been reportedly targeted by drones.Russian tourists have claimed no alarms were sounded before the incident, with one saying: "No sirens. Nothing happened." Mayor Alexey Bogodistov had announced a drone threat at 8.34am but then cancelled it 10 minutes later.