Ukrainian sea drones strike Sochi waterfront, injuring nearly 30. Photos and videos from the scene.
Ukrainian sea drones — which Russia’s Defense Ministry calls “uncrewed boats” — struck the waterfront in Sochi on the evening of September 9. Twenty-eight people were injured, including two children, Krasnodar Krai’s operational headquarters reported. All those injured have received medical treatment; three adults and one child remain hospitalized.
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An explosion during the sea drone attack on Sochi’s waterfront, September 9, 2026.
Screenshot from a video on social media / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA
The attack began around 9 p.m., just as singer Tatiana Bulanova was performing a concert at the Festivalny House of Culture on the waterfront. The concert was halted and the audience evacuated.
One local resident recounted what happened: “My wife was at the concert. During the evacuation, people were falling, running in panic. Explosions could be heard all around. She fell while running to the car. She was knocked down by the blast wave. You could really feel the shock wave after each explosion. They were very close.”
According to the news outlet 93.ru, many people were still on the waterfront when the attack warning sounded. Beachgoers didn’t react at first, fleeing only after the explosions began.
“Everyone started running once the explosions were already very close. At first everyone just watched, because that’s normal for Sochi. But something exploded just 300 meters (984 feet) from us, and then everyone ran. It was incredible chaos. Everyone is screaming, children are crying. Everyone is running, and there are explosions nearby. We’re running and we don’t know where to go, because there’s no shelter anywhere. We somehow made it to an underground crossing,” one witness said.
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A fire broke out on the waterfront after the attack, though local authorities assessed the damage as minor. “We need to repair the glazing and facade elements. I’m confident we’ll handle this quickly,” Sochi Mayor Andrei Proshunin wrote on Telegram. He added that the beaches would stay closed to visitors until the aftermath is fully cleared. “The situation is normal everywhere else in Sochi,” Proshunin said.
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Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on terrorism charges (Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code) after the attack, claiming Ukraine “deliberately” targeted the resort area.
the anonymous Russian Telegram channel VChK-OGPU
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