On Friday, a Russian missile strike targeted a supermarket in Kostiantynivka, a town in the front-line Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least ten people and injuries to 35 others, according to Ukrainian officials.
The missile strike ignited a fire that was later extinguished, as reported by the Ukrainian interior minister. Images and videos shared by officials showed heavy black smoke billowing from the devastated building.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack on X, referring to it as an assault by “Russian terrorists” on a civilian supermarket and a post office. He mentioned that there were people trapped under the rubble and that emergency services were actively searching for survivors.
Initially, Regional Governor Vadym Filashkin suggested that artillery was used in the attack. However, he later clarified that the strike was carried out with an X-38 air-to-surface missile. The missile hit a location that also housed a cargo office for Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s largest private postal company. The company confirmed on X that while their office sustained damage, all employees were safe, with one colleague suffering a concussion and receiving necessary medical care.
In addition to the supermarket, residential houses, shops, and more than a dozen vehicles were damaged in the attack, as detailed in a post by the interior minister on Telegram. Kostiantynivka is situated approximately 13 kilometers from the active combat line in Ukraine’s east. Areas under Kyiv’s control in the Donetsk region frequently experience Russian shelling and air strikes.
The Donetsk region remains a focal point of intense conflict, as Russia continues to target regions in the direction of the strategically important eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
In related news, Russia has accused Ukraine of conducting a cross-border assault in Russia’s Kursk region this week, though the Kyiv military has not yet responded to these allegations.
