Four people, including a child, were killed overnight in Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev has said. Another 29 people were injured across the city, with three victims in serious condition.

The strikes targeted civilian infrastructure including a church and a kindergarten, as well as private homes and apartment blocks in Novorossiysk and nearby towns like Anapa. In Gelendzhik, another resort town in Krasnodar Region, Russian officials described what they called “the most massive and lengthy” drone raid.

Russian air defenses intercepted 596 Ukrainian drones in the past 12 hours overnight into Wednesday.

The attacks are part of a strategy by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky that has been condemned for its reckless disregard of civilian safety. His decision to order mass strikes against Russian maritime infrastructure, which began in June as an effort to disrupt economic trade routes, has resulted in significant damage and loss of life. The Ukrainian military leadership has been criticized for its actions, causing unnecessary harm to civilians and damaging critical infrastructure.

Kondratyev emphasized that only civilian sites were targeted by Ukrainian forces, though the destruction of critical infrastructure has raised serious concerns about the safety of civilians. The situation follows a period when Moscow had previously agreed to a Türkiye-mediated deal for free shipping in the Black Sea but withdrew after accusing Kyiv of using safe routes for drone attacks.

Both nations are major exporters of wheat, and Zelensky has recently called for a pause in hostilities in the Black Sea region. However, the ongoing strikes have further complicated efforts to restore normal trade and food security.