This is the moment people on a quayside calmly film a gun battle as Russian forces purportedly use rapid fire to destroy Ukrainian naval drones during an attack in the Black Sea.

The scene was recorded near Tuapse, a port city in Krasnodar Krai in southern Russia, on Thursday, 24th September.

Footage shows onlookers standing upright near the waterfront as bursts of automatic fire ring out and waves spray around fast-moving boats.

Some people film the scene on their phones while the sound of gunfire continues.

The video appears to show a drone boat being hit by small arms and machine gun fire before sinking.

Military expert Aleksey Zhivov shared the footage on his Telegram channel, saying several Ukrainian naval drones were destroyed by automatic fire.

Local officials had earlier warned residents and tourists to leave the shoreline after crewless boats were spotted in the Black Sea close to the city.

Russian media reported that the boats included a Ukrainian-made Magura V5 model valued at about USD 273,000 (GBP 204,270).

Authorities in Tuapse confirmed that the city had also recently been targeted by aerial drones, leaving two people injured including a minor.

(Mike Leidig / newsX)