At least 17 people were killed on Wednesday, September 6, in a Russian bombardment on a market in Kostiantynivka, a city in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on social networks. “Russian terrorist artillery killed [17] people in the town of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region,” he wrote, reporting a market, shops and a pharmacy hit.
“The search and rescue operation is over,” Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on Telegram in the evening. This reports 17 people killed and 32 injured. According to Prime Minister Denys Chmygal, a child is among the dead.
This city, which had almost 70,000 inhabitants before the Russian offensive launched in early 2022, is about thirty kilometers from Bakhmout, the scene of a bloody battle with troops from Moscow for more than a year. The bombardment took place hours after the arrival of Antony Blinken, who insisted that the United States stood “by the side of Ukraine”. In the evening, the Pentagon announced that the United States would supply Ukraine with munitions containing depleted uranium.
CCTV footage released by Volodymyr Zelensky shows a quiet shopping alley, when suddenly the whistle of a projectile is heard, followed by a very loud explosion. In another video, you can see buildings engulfed in flames.
A survivor testified to Agence France-Presse about the violence of the impact, which occurred at a time when the streets were very busy. “Everything was destroyed” and “the girls who were selling are all dead,” he said. Rescuers searched the debris and transported some injured people to treat them in front of charred vehicles and shops, according to images released by the authorities.
At least 16 people have been killed by Russian shelling in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region. Russian terrorists have attacked a regular market, shops, and a pharmacy, killing innocent people. The number of casualties could rise further. Anyone in the world who is still dealing… pic.twitter.com/PRfuGih2JD
“The Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible,” insisted the Ukrainian president. According to the Prime Minister, the fire caused by the Russian strike is now “contained”. Kostiantynivka is located about thirty kilometers from Bakhmout, the scene of a bloody battle for a year. Neighboring towns are also regularly hit by deadly Russian bombardments.
Russian forces claimed in May, after ten months of fighting, the capture of Bakhmout, but they have since been on the defensive, the Ukrainian army attacking on the flanks, forcing them to retreat. Despite the multiple strikes that have hit civilian sites in Ukraine, causing many deaths, Moscow claims to systematically target and destroy military targets.
Ukraine has been leading a difficult counter-offensive since June to reconquer the territories occupied by Russia in the East and South.
