Ukrainian drones strike resort in occupied Crimea near Russian state dachas, Kremlin proxy says
Editor's Note: This is a developing story.
Ukrainian drones struck the Foros resort in Russian-occupied Crimea the evening of Sept. 21, causing damage and casualties, according to Sergey Aksyonov, head of the illegal occupation government.
Foros is a resort town on the southernmost coast of the Crimean peninsula. The alleged target, the Foros Sanatorium, is a luxury resort located near four Russian state dachas — country homes of Russia's political elite.
Aksyonov claimed that "several facilities" at the resort were damaged in the attack and that a nearby village school also sustained damage. Debris from downed drones caused a grass fire near the city of Yalta.
The strike killed three people and injured 16, Aksyonov claimed.
The attack was carried out at 7:30 p.m. Moscow time "using drones armed with high-explosive warheads," the Russian Defense Ministry said.
A source reportedly told the Crimean Wind Telegram channel that "very important guests" were staying at the resort. According to the Foros resort website, the facility's restaurant was closed for special service on Sept. 21.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims at the time of publication.
The Foros resort was purchased in 2016 by the Federation of Trade Unions of Tatarstan with financial backing from Russian businesses, including the oil company Tatneft. The Federation is likely an intermediary to protect the real owners from international sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly vacationed multiple times at the Foros resort, which is reported to be linked to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
Russia has illegally occupied Crimea since 2014, transforming the peninsula into a heavily militarized stronghold to support its war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted the peninsula with missiles and drones since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022. Most recently, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) destroyed three Russian Mi-8 helicopters and a radar station in occupied Crimea.
