Ukrainian sea drones hit Sochi waterfront, injuring nearly 30

Ukrainian sea drones, which Russia's Defense Ministry refers to as "uncrewed boats," hit the waterfront in the Russian resort city of Sochi on the evening of September 9. According to Krasnodar Krai's operational headquarters, 28 people were injured, including two children. All the injured received medical care, though three adults and one child remain hospitalized.

The strike began around 9 p.m., right as singer Tatiana Bulanova was performing a concert at the Festivalny House of Culture on the waterfront. The show was stopped and the crowd evacuated.

A local resident said his wife was attending the concert and described chaos during the evacuation, with people falling and running in panic as explosions sounded nearby. He said she was knocked over by a blast wave while running toward the car, and that the shockwaves were clearly felt after each explosion.

The outlet 93.ru reported that many people were still on the beach when the air-raid warning went off, and initially did not react, since alerts are common in Sochi. Panic spread only once an explosion occurred roughly 300 meters away. Witnesses described screaming crowds, crying children, and people running without knowing where to seek shelter, eventually taking cover in an underground pedestrian crossing.

A fire broke out on the waterfront following the attack, though local officials described the damage as minor. Sochi Mayor Andrei Proshunin wrote on Telegram that glazing and facade elements would need repair and expressed confidence the situation would be resolved quickly. He said the beaches would remain closed to visitors until cleanup was complete, while the rest of the city was operating normally.

Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on terrorism charges under Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code following the attack, alleging that Ukraine deliberately targeted the resort area.