Drones strike Sochi while Putin may have been there, Russian media reports

According to media reports, the Russian leader had arrived in Sochi shortly before the attack.

Krasnodar region governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported the death of one man, a car driver hit by debris from a downed drone.

Kondratyev said about six private houses were damaged, but media outlet and official sources did not specify exact addresses.

That night, air raid sirens sounded three times over Sochi. The city’s airport was closed for more than 30 minutes.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, air defenses shot down two drones over the Krasnodar region and another 15 over the Black Sea during the night.

Possible Putin presence

Journalists note that Putin may have been in Sochi during the attack. Before that, he had taken part in a video call at an emergency BRICS meeting.

Data from Flightradar24 shows that a few hours before the attack, an Il-96-300PU aircraft with registration number RA-96024 arrived in Sochi. Putin had previously used this plane to travel to a meeting with US President Donald Trump. The aircraft remains in the city.

Bocharov Ruchey residence

Sochi is home to the Bocharov Ruchey residence. In the past, Putin could spend weeks in the city, but after Ukrainian drones began attacking Sochi, the President has hardly visited it.

For example, during his November 2024 visit to the Valdai Club, he spent only one day in Sochi and spent the night aboard his plane.

Furthermore, on August 28, a forest fire broke out near Putin’s palace in Gelendzhik following a drone attack. The fire covered an area of 3.2 hectares.

On August 31, the governor of Russia's Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, reported that a fire near Gelendzhik was extinguished after a drone crashed a few kilometers from Putin's palace.

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that on the night of August 3, unidentified strike drones attacked Sochi and the Adler district. The strikes sparked a fire at an oil depot in the area.