The Prime Minister of Denmark and the US Secretary of State arrived in Kiev, but the visits were overshadowed by the Russian bombing of a street market in Kostyantynivka, a town in the Donetsk region about 30 kilometers west of Bakhmut, which killed at least 17 people . dead, including a child, and 32 injured. An attack “on international law and humanity,” said Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who also received condemnation from the US, the European Union and the United Nations.
Video surveillance footage shared by the Ukrainian president shows a shopping street just before and during the missile impact at around 2 p.m. local (minus two in Lisbon). What was a market became a ruin after the fire was extinguished and the bodies of dozens of victims were removed from a 300 square meter area.
“This is not a military target. This is a quiet neighborhood in the center of the city,” one survivor, Stefan Slovak, told the Associated Press as charred bodies with their clothes still burning. “A normal market. Stores. A pharmacy. People who have done nothing wrong,” the Ukrainian president responded to Telegram.
Together with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Zelensky assured that the target area is civilian. “There are no military units around,” he said. Zelensky stated that the attack is in response to the situation on the battlefield. “Every time the Ukrainian forces move in that direction, the Russians always target civilians and objects,” he criticized.
United Nations Representative in Ukraine Denise Brown called the Kostyantynivka bombing “despicable”, while the EU condemned the act “heinous and barbaric” and the White House said the “brutal attacks underscore the importance of continuing to support the Ukrainian people in Ukraine. the defense of their territory”.
Before Frederiksen and Blinken arrived in the capital by train, Russia attacked with cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, but Ukrainian military officials say they destroyed all missiles. But of a total of 33 missiles and drones launched at targets across the country in the early hours of the day, 10 got past defenses, killing one person in the Odessa region.
The head of the Danish government went to discuss with the Ukrainian president how Copenhagen can help deepen cooperation, in addition to a new military aid package and the way to integrate the F-16 fighters that Denmark and the Netherlands will hand over to Kiev while pilots are trained .
“President Biden has asked me to strongly reaffirm our support, to ensure that we optimize the efforts we and other countries are making for the immediate challenge of the counter-offensive, as well as longer-term efforts to help Ukraine build a force.” who can. deter and defend against future aggression.” Antonius Blinken
It was Frederiksen’s third visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion of the country. Antony Blinken, the head of US diplomacy, traveled to Ukrainian territory with the Nordic leader for the fourth time since February last year. Blinken met with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, more than once with his colleague Dmytro Kuleba – including a meal at the most famous American fast food chain – and with the president. The news is that Blinken spent the night in the capital this time, a sign of support and confidence, Washington said.
The visit of the Secretary of State was intended to assess the counter-offensive launched three months ago and to show a renewed commitment. While the Pentagon was explaining the new $175 million military aid package, which includes new depleted uranium ammunition for the Abrams tanks — which are not yet in service — it was up to Blinken to increase the aid amount. announce to one billion. dollars. The main aid goes to security forces in the liberated areas (300 million), humanitarian aid (206 million) and anti-corruption reforms (203 million).
Romania examines wreckage
After denying that any debris had been found in Romania, President Klaus Iohannis backed down, calling for an “urgent investigation” into the pieces of what was believed to be a drone discovered after an attack on Ukraine. “If these fragments are confirmed to belong to a Russian drone, such a situation would be completely unacceptable and a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a NATO ally,” said Iohannis.
The revelation comes after Bucharest rejected accusations from Kiev that Iranian-made Russian drones had crashed and detonated on Romanian territory in an attack on the Ukrainian port of Izmail on Sunday night.
Source: DN
