A Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Kursk, near the Ukraine border, killed three people, including a Russian National Guard soldier, according to statements by the region’s acting governor Alexander Khinshtein.
The strike occurred Tuesday night at a municipal beach, where the drone allegedly targeted civilians. “To our deep sorrow, as a result of the attack on the municipal beach, three people died on the spot,” Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
Details of the Attack
A second explosion reportedly went off while the soldier was evacuating civilians, leading to his death.
“The enemy deliberately struck a place where civilians were located,” Khinshtein said, calling it an “inhumane attack.”
Of the seven injured, five – including a five-year-old boy – are in serious condition, according to the official. Khinshtein emphasized that no military targets were nearby.
A separate drone strike hit Rylsk, another city in the Kursk region, injuring two additional people.
Background & Escalation
The attack follows ongoing tensions and cross-border operations in the region. In August 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into the Kursk region, temporarily seizing large areas before being pushed back in April 2025 by Russian forces, reportedly with aid from North Korean troops.
The Kursk attack adds to a series of strikes as drone warfare intensifies on both sides of the conflict. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian infrastructure and civilian zones, drawing accusations of violating international norms – a claim Kyiv denies, asserting it targets only dual-use or military assets.
Kyiv Also Hit by Russian Strike
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, a woman was wounded and hospitalized following a Russian missile strike, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the capital’s military administration. No further casualties have been reported at this time.
Conflict Outlook
Despite mounting global pressure, especially from U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia shows little sign of de-escalating the war, which began in February 2022. Ukrainian resistance has evolved from ground warfare to include long-range drones and precision attacks, many of which have reached deep into Russian territory.
As civilian casualties rise, both sides continue to accuse each other of war crimes and disregard for human life, deepening the humanitarian crisis across the region.
Bottom Line:
The drone strikes in Kursk and Rylsk represent another dangerous flashpoint in the prolonged conflict, underscoring the rising human cost and the blurred lines between military targets and civilian spaces in modern drone warfare.