Ukrainian Drone Alerts Sochi Following Putin's Speech

The Russian authorities issued an air alert in the city of Sochi on Thursday evening after spotting a drone believed to be Ukrainian, shortly after a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the "Valdai Discussion Club".

The Russian aviation authority "Rosaviatsiya" announced a temporary suspension of flights at Sochi and Gelendzhik airports, while residents received text messages warning them of a possible attack and advising them to stay away from streets and windows. It was unclear where Putin was during the incident, noting that Sochi has a heavily fortified presidential residence that Putin uses frequently.

Data from the "Flight Radar 24" website showed Russian military aircraft flying over the North Caucasus towards Sochi during the alert.

In his speech at the forum, Putin blamed European countries for the failure to reach a settlement in the conflict in Ukraine, accusing them of pursuing a "policy of continuous escalation." He added that Moscow is closely monitoring European military expansion, warning that "Russia's countermeasures will not be delayed."

The Russian president also issued a warning to the United States regarding the supply of long-range "Tomahawk" missiles to Ukraine, considering that this could lead the conflict into a "new phase of escalation" and bring Washington closer to direct military involvement, despite acknowledging that this step would not change the balance of power on the front.