Ukraine destroys air defense of Putin's palace in Crimea
Drones hit key defense systems in the Gelendzhik region, leaving the Black Sea complex unprotected, Le Figaro reports.
Drones hit key defense systems in the Gelendzhik region, leaving the Black Sea complex unprotected, Le Figaro reports.
Ukrainian forces have destroyed the air defense and electronic warfare systems that protected the palace complex of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Black Sea coast, according to Le Figaro. The drone strikes were carried out in the Gelendzhik region of Crimea, and according to Robert Brovdi, commander of the drone forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the palace is now left without its defensive shield.
On the night of August 9-10, 2026, Ukrainian drones launched six missiles at air defense systems in the Gelendzhik region, Le Figaro reports, citing The Moscow Times. This attack was preceded by an operation on August 7, 2026, when Ukraine destroyed an electronic warfare system called "Volna Kupol Garant" in the same region.
The "Volna Kupol Garant" system was used to jam Starlink satellite communications and provided protection for an area of 20 square kilometers. Its destruction paved the way for Ukrainian drones to reach the S-400 system, located just 500 meters away, Le Figaro explains, citing New Voice of Ukraine.
Military analyst Ian Matveïev noted that satellite imagery shows the destruction of at least one launcher. "Now Putin's palace is left without protection," Matveïev told Le Figaro.
Vladimir Putin's palace is located on the Black Sea coast, about 20 kilometers from Gelendzhik. The complex, covering 17,700 square meters, became famous after an investigation by political opponent Alexei Navalny, who died in 2024.
According to that investigation, the estate includes an ice hockey rink, a cinema, several restaurants, a swimming pool, a water disco club, a spa, saunas, hammams, its own production facilities for meat, fish, vegetables, and desserts, a storage facility for therapeutic mud, and a helicopter pad. About 7,000 hectares of land allegedly belong to the FSB, and the Anti-Corruption Foundation estimated the construction cost at no less than 100 billion rubles.
Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden, commented on the attack on social media platform X. "Ukraine has just hit the main missile systems and electronic defense that protected Putin's palace on the Black Sea. What will happen now?" Bildt wrote.
This event demonstrates the growing reach of Ukrainian drones and their ability to penetrate layered defense systems in strategically sensitive areas, which could have broader implications for the security situation in the Black Sea region.
