War Has Reached Black Sea Resorts, But Russians Keep Coming Anyway

Russia's Black Sea coast — and annexed Crimea in particular — remains one of the most popular summer destinations for Russians, even though the same stretch of coastline is home to oil terminals and refineries that regularly come under Ukrainian strikes.

According to Dmitry Bogdanov, head of the AMOS association of hoteliers in southern Russia, tourist numbers have fallen 10.8% over the past year because of drones overhead and oil spills at sea. Even so, beaches and seaside cafés along the coast remain packed — largely because, statistically, more than 65% of Russia's 146 million people have never traveled abroad, and many simply can't afford to.

People keep coming despite the danger

Ordinary Russians weren't even deterred by a drone that crashed onto a beach in Arkhipo-Osipovka, reportedly killing four children and three adults and injuring around 40 more people.

The owner of a guesthouse in Kabardinka, another resort town in Krasnodar region, said summer bookings are holding steady compared with last year, with some guests "not even asking what the situation here is like."

Alexei, a manager from Voronezh, vacationed in Sochi in July with his preschool-age daughter. Worried about water pollution and drone strikes, the family avoided the sea and swam in the hotel pool instead. It was far from a perfect holiday, but Alexei didn't have much choice: his employer is tied to the defense industry, which — as with many other Russians in similar jobs — means he's barred from traveling abroad. So he had to make do with fuel rationing, frequent power outages that plague Sochi just as they do annexed Crimea, and the constant risk of another drone strike.

Putin opts for safer locations

It seems that very threat is what's kept the region's most famous vacationer — President Putin, who has an official residence in Sochi and, according to reports, a lavish palace built for his personal use near Gelendzhik — away from the Black Sea altogether.

Back in 2021, before the invasion of Ukraine, Putin visited Sochi 24 times. In 2024 and 2025, however, he's been there only twice each year. These days, for security reasons, he largely sticks to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and his residence on Lake Valdai in the country's north.

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Source: novinky.cz