At least 17 people died this Wednesday in a Russian bombardment against a market in eastern Ukraine, coinciding with a visit to kyiv by the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, who promised to “maximize” support for the country.
The attack occurred in a commercial artery in Kostantinovka, a town of about 70,000 inhabitants in the Donetsk region.
Some twenty stores, an electrical transmission line, an administrative building and another residential building suffered damage in the attack, that destroyed cars and several market stalls, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
“The enemy reached the central market of Kostiantinivka, in the Donetsk region,” reads the information from Ukrinform, which cites as a source the Military Administration of this oblast partially occupied by Russia, through which the front line passes.
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“They broke everything, the shop windows, everything was broken,” a witness told AFP. “Thank God we’re alive, but the girls who were selling there are all dead,” he added.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko reported 17 dead and 32 wounded, and announced that the rescue operation was over.
🇺🇦🇷🇺 | LAST MINUTE: The central market of Kostiantynivka, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, is hit by a projectile of Russian origin. According to Ukrainian authorities, at least 16 people have lost their lives. pic.twitter.com/gVzQHos3b6
— UHNPlus (@UHN_Plus) September 6, 2023
Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said that among those killed in the attack, some 20 kilometers from the front line, there was a child.
For his part, President Volodimir Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians. and said there were no military units “close” to the location.
The Russian bombardment was described as “brutal” by the United States and an attack “against humanity” by Germany.
An attack with Russian explosive drones had already caused a death this Wednesday morning in the Odessa region (south), where port infrastructures used for the export of grain are often targeted by bombardments.
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Attack coincides with Blinken’s visit
The attack in Kostantinovka took place when the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, makes a surprise visit to the country, the third since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
“President Biden has asked me to come here to strongly reaffirm our support, and to ensure that we are going to maximize the efforts that we are making,” Blinken told Zelensky.
“We can see very clearly the important progress that is currently being made in the counteroffensive and it is very, very encouraging,” he added, referring to efforts by Ukrainian troops in the east and south to try to recapture territories invaded by Moscow.
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“We are happy that we are not alone this winter,” said Zelenski, who foresees some hard months on the immediate horizon.
The head of US diplomacy declared Washington’s readiness to “guarantee that Ukraine has everything it needs not only to successfully carry out the counteroffensive” but also to have “strong defensive capabilities so that similar aggressions do not happen again.”
This Wednesday, The United States also announced that it will provide Ukraine with uranium-based tank ammunition. impoverished as part of a $175 million relief package.
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This is the first time that the United States has reported the delivery to Ukraine of ammunition of this type, capable of piercing armor, but which arouses controversy due to the toxic risks for the military and the civilian population.
Uranium is an extremely dense metal that does not deform when in contact with its target. For this reason it is used in projectiles and bombs for its ability to penetrate.
*With AFP and EFE
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