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Zelensky claims Russian strike kills at least 17 in east Ukraine market

Zelensky claims Russian strike kills at least 17 in east Ukraine market

Russia's attack on Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday (September 6) that a Russian attack on the city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine killed at least 17people and injured over a dozen. The attack happened on the day US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Kyiv.

Zelensky said on social media: "At this moment, the artillery of Russian terrorists has killed 16 people in the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region. A regular market. Shops. A pharmacy. People who did nothing wrong. Many wounded. (sic)"

Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmygal posted security camera footage of the strike. In the video, residents can be seen running for cover and sending off car alarms. Officials said that one child was among the dead.

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In a post on social media, Ukraine's interior ministry Igor Klymenko said that around 28 were injured.

Kostyantynivka is a frontline town of an estimated 70,000 people in the eastern industrial region of Donetsk, which has been the epicentre of fighting since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.

Donetsk has been partially controlled by Kremlin-backed separatists since 2014 and Russia claimed to have annexed the region alongside three others late last year.

Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.

Ukraine's new defence minister

Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's newly appointed defence minister, vowed to recapture all territory under Russian military control, in his first comments in the new role.

Lawmakers had earlier approved Umerov, a Crimean Tatar, as Kyiv's new defence minister after his name was put forward by Zelensky.

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"I will do everything possible and impossible for the victory of Ukraine -- when we liberate every centimetre of our country and every one of our people," Umerov said in a post on social media.

"We will return normal and dignified life to Ukrainian cities, which are unfortunately temporarily occupied. We know that people there are waiting for us," he added.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

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