In a tragic incident, at least 16 people lost their lives, and many others sustained injuries during a Russian attack on a bustling market in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka on Wednesday, coinciding with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
Disturbing footage circulated online, shared by presidential officials, depicted individuals falling to the ground or seeking refuge moments after a massive explosion unfolded before them. Some could be seen looking skyward as they heard what resembled the sound of an approaching missile.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy swiftly condemned the attack, revealing that the market, shops, and a pharmacy had been struck in this industrial city situated near the conflict zone. Zelenskiy voiced his determination to defeat this “Russian evil” promptly, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. He conveyed these sentiments via the Telegram messaging app, stating, “When someone in the world still attempts to deal with anything Russian, it means turning a blind eye to this reality. The audacity of evil. The brazenness of wickedness. Utter inhumanity.”
During a subsequent press conference in Kyiv, President Zelenskiy expressed his belief that this had been a deliberate attack on “a peaceful city.”
Kostiantynivka, once home to approximately 70,000 residents before Russia’s invasion 18 months ago, is located roughly 30 km (19 miles) from the war-torn city of Bakhmut, which has witnessed intense fighting for months. Kyiv, where Blinken was meeting with Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian leaders during his visit, is about 560 km away.
This tragic strike followed a series of Russian attacks on cities in eastern Ukraine that inflicted damage on civilian infrastructure, including a well-known café, a hotel, and shops. Earlier on the same day, air strikes targeted Kyiv and the southern Odesa region, with no reported casualties in the capital but one fatality in the Odesa region, according to local officials.
Oleksiy Kuleba, Zelenskiy’s deputy chief of staff, reported that 34 individuals were wounded in the Kostiantynivka attack.
Police revealed that the market had been bustling when the attack occurred at around 2:00 p.m. (1200 GMT), resulting in damage to nearly 30 shopping kiosks, an apartment building, a bank, and vehicles.
A heart-wrenching video released by the police showed rescuers sifting through the kiosks, with people asking, “Who have you found?” As bodies were removed in black bags, the scene was marked by the anguished cries of onlookers. The video also portrayed a pharmacy floor covered in blood.
As of now, Russia has not provided immediate comments regarding the attack and has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians. Earlier on the same day, the Kremlin suggested that Washington intended to continue funding Ukraine’s military to prolong the conflict, stating that Moscow believed the U.S. planned to “wage this war to the last Ukrainian.”
