NEW DELHI: Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on the Black Sea resort town of Gelendzhik, claiming that seven people, including three children, were killed and 40 others injured in what it described as a deliberate strike on civilians.

Ukraine did not immediately comment on the allegations. Both Kyiv and Moscow have consistently maintained that they do not intentionally target civilians during the war, which began after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Videos circulating on social media and verified by Reuters appeared to show a drone crashing into a crowded beach area near Gelendzhik, followed by a powerful explosion.

Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev described the incident as a "tragedy" and accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians.

"What happened today was a deliberate attack by the Kyiv regime on the civilian population, which has no connection whatsoever to military infrastructure," Kondratyev said in a statement on Telegram.

Earlier, the governor had referred to "falling drone fragments," a phrase often used when Russian air defences intercept incoming drones. However, it remained unclear whether the drone was struck by air defence systems, diverted through electronic jamming, or reached the beach directly before exploding.

Authorities said a specialist medical disaster response team had been deployed to Arkhipo-Osipovka, a holiday village within the greater Gelendzhik resort area, where the blast occurred.

Russia's Health Ministry said 21 people, including three children, were hospitalised following the attack, with nine reported to be in serious condition.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, quoted by the TASS news agency, accused Ukraine of resorting to "terrorism."

The incident follows another accusation by Moscow last month that Ukrainian forces killed 11 people, including four children, in an attack on a holiday camp in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.

The conflict has caused heavy civilian casualties on both sides, though the vast majority have been recorded in Ukraine, where repeated Russian missile and drone strikes have devastated cities, displaced millions of people, and destroyed critical infrastructure.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified long-range drone attacks inside Russia, primarily targeting military-linked infrastructure, oil refineries and logistics facilities. Kyiv says the campaign is intended to weaken Russia's war effort and demonstrate that the costs of the conflict extend beyond the battlefield.