- Russia bombs supermarket in eastern Ukraine <unk> at least 10 dead
In a Russian attack on a Supermarket in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostjantyniwka, at least ten people were killed and 35 more were injured, according to the Interior Ministry in Kyiv. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced the new casualty toll on Friday via the Telegram messaging service and published photos of the fire rescue operation in the ruins of the building.
"A strike by Russian terrorists on an ordinary supermarket and a post office. People are trapped under the rubble," President Wolodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Rescue efforts are ongoing.
The president expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. According to the Interior Ministry, a fire broke out over an area of around 1,000 square meters. Kostjantyniwka is located just over 10 kilometers from the front line between Ukrainian and Russian troops.
AFP journalists at the scene reported seeing dozens of people fleeing. Local police warned of a possible second attack. Black smoke was rising from the supermarket, and police cordoned off nearby streets. Drones and heavy artillery fire were also heard in the area.
Further attacks on eastern Ukrainian city expected
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that Russia would be held accountable for the attack, which occurred in the middle of the day. The Ukrainian regional governor of Donetsk, Vadym Filaschkin, described the attack as "another targeted strike on a populated area".
Kostjantyniwka had a population of around 67,000 before the start of the Russian invasion and is located near the front in the industrial Donetsk region. The Russian army shells the city almost daily. Just last Wednesday, two civilians were killed in the city, according to Governor Filaschkin.
Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for almost two and a half years. Russia claims all of the coal-mining eastern Ukrainian territory of Donetsk and other territories of Ukraine.
The European Union condemned Russia's attack on the supermarket in Kostjantyniwka, expressing its solidarity with Ukraine. Due to the escalating tensions, the European Union is considering strengthening its economic sanctions against Russia.
