At least seven people, including three children, were killed and more than 40 injured on Tuesday after a drone struck a crowded beach near the Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik, according to Russian authorities, in one of the deadliest attacks to hit a civilian leisure area since the war began.

The strike occurred at Arkhipo Osipovka, a popular holiday destination in Russia’s Krasnodar region. Regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said seven people had died and 40 others were injured, with 21 requiring hospital treatment.

Russian officials blamed Ukraine for the attack, though Ukrainian authorities had not commented by Tuesday evening.

It remains unclear whether the drone struck the beach directly or whether it was brought down by Russian air defences before impact. Videos circulating online captured the sound of sustained gunfire before an explosion, suggesting air defence units may have been attempting to intercept the drone.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Western allies of supporting terrorism in response to the incident.

“Not long ago, Nato and the EU declared a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism. Now, they themselves have become part of international terrorist activity,” she told the state news agency Tass.

Analysts said there was no evidence to confirm the beach had been the intended target. The area lies roughly 40 kilometres from a Russian naval base and is also close to several other potential military sites.

Witnesses said no warning sirens sounded before the explosion.

“We were on the beach, we didn’t have time to leave,” one holidaymaker told local media.

Another said they heard “gunfire, like a machine gun” moments before the blast.

The attack came as both Russia and Ukraine continued to exchange long range strikes.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Ukrainian drone reportedly struck a warehouse belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries in the Vladimir region east of Moscow, injuring four people according to regional authorities.

The incidents followed Russian missile attacks on Kyiv on Saturday, in which Ukrainian officials said at least nine people were killed and a dozen more injured.

The war has increasingly reached areas far from the front line, with drone attacks becoming more frequent on both sides as each seeks to target military infrastructure deep inside enemy territory.