On September 6, Russian forces launched an artillery attack on Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk Region of Ukraine, striking the town’s central market.
Preliminary reports indicate that 16 people, including a child, lost their lives, and at least 20 others sustained injuries, as stated by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared footage of the attack on social media.
“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. At this moment, the attack by Russian terrorists has killed 16 people in the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region,” Zelensky wrote in his official channel on Telegram.
Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, reported that, based on his information, there were a total of 44 casualties: 16 dead and 28 injured.
“A rescue worker is among those injured. The State Emergency Situations Service and police are conducting a search and rescue operation,” he wrote on Telegram.
Russian missile attacks frequently target civilian areas, although tolls this high are unusual.
In April, a missile strike on an apartment block in the central city of Uman claimed the lives of 23 individuals, including children, while a similar strike in Dnipro resulted in 40 casualties in January.