Overview
- Regional authorities cite a preliminary toll of 24 dead and more than 50 wounded, with many bodies badly burned and formal identification underway before a victim list is released.
- The Investigative Committee launched a terrorism investigation, and Russian officials attribute the attack to Ukrainian forces.
- Governor Vladimir Saldo says a reconnaissance drone guided two attack drones, including one with an incendiary payload, and firefighters battled the blaze for over six hours as rescue access was hindered.
- Crimean officials report four patients hospitalized there, with additional transfers under consideration, while Saldo says 19 people remain in local hospitals and a Crimean hospital chief reports one woman in intensive care after surgery.
- Senior figures issued condemnations and vowed consequences, including Dmitry Medvedev’s call for retribution, while Moscow’s mayor offered assistance and religious leaders expressed condolences.