Russian air defenses brought down drone that fell on crowded Gelendzhik beach, Ukraine says
A Ukrainian drone that fell on a crowded beach in Gelendzhik in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai on August 3 was shot down by Russian air defenses, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.
The initial report of the drone's fall came from Krasnodar Krai Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev.
The Russian governor claimed seven people were killed in the incident, including three children, and that 40 others were injured. He described it as a “deliberate attack” by Ukraine.
CNN, after analyzing video footage, said gunfire could be heard a few seconds before the drone fell and exploded, after which it appeared to sharply veer off course. The outlet suggested the drone may have encountered electronic warfare measures nearby.
Kovalenko, in comments to CNN, said the drone was brought down by Russian air defenses, and that “the deaths of Russians on the beach in Gelendzhik lie entirely on the conscience of Russian air defense forces.”
“This was the work of Russian air defense forces, which shot down the drone over a beach full of vacationers. And it was also the result of the pitiful efforts of the Russian authorities, which often conceal air raid alerts or do not do everything necessary to guarantee the safety of Russians during such alerts,” Kovalenko said.
He stressed that Ukraine uses its weapons exclusively against Russia’s military-industrial complex.