Russian forces killed 17 civilians in Donbass in an attack Ukraine described as “premeditated” after it claimed during a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the enemy had handed in their weapons at a market.
Ahead of Joe Biden’s envoy’s arrival, firefighters confirmed the death toll, including a child, and at least 34 injured in the violent explosion and subsequent fire at Kostiantinivka.
Kiev lamented that it was a premeditated act as that was the target, stressing that there were no warehouses or military bases nearby, which the Vladimir Putin regime usually justifies by attacking squares or residential areas.
Videos of the attack immediately circulated on Telegram to demonstrate Moscow’s “evil” and “terror”. In one recording, the surprise of local residents can be seen, who turned in the same spot when they heard the alleged projectile slamming into the market in seconds, causing a roar and fire that shook the community.
Firefighters said they recovered charred bodies, while Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said 30 damaged pavilions and two damaged buildings were counted.
In a post on social media after the attack, Zelenski exposed the intruder’s “absolute inhumanity,” emphasizing “anyone who knows the place knows it’s civilian territory,” showing the Kremlin’s insistence , bombing civilians and killing innocent people. And he warned the death toll could rise as rescuers continue to search the rubble for survivors.
He also took advantage of the enemy onslaught to call for a pooling of forces to defeat the terrorist and urge more aid, the same day Parliament confirmed Rustem Umierov as the new defense minister, sacking Oleksi Reznikov replaced.
And the response was immediate, as Blinken, who he met after the attack, reiterated the United States’ “unwavering” commitment by proposing a more than $1 billion package that includes depleted uranium munitions he in declared a conference.
The Biden envoy said the aid would indefinitely complement deliveries of Abrams tanks and pilot training for F-16 fighter jets. There he paid tribute to the success of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, which continues to accelerate its pace by recapturing more territory, with the goal of achieving ultimate victory in the long term.
Before that, he used the renewed trip to Ukraine to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers by visiting the Berkovetsky Cemetery together with Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba, while Zelensky’s warriors defended other areas as more attacks were reported in other regions, such as Sumi.
