At least 17 people were killed, including a child, and another 32 were injured after a Russian missile struck a busy outdoor market in the Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka, according to Ukrainian officials. Videos of the aftermath of the attack, one of Russia’s deadliest attacks in months, showed fires in destroyed buildings and soldiers carrying away body bags.
The Russian attack came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Kiev on an unannounced two-day visit, his first trip to the Ukrainian capital in a year. Blinken met his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky and described progress in the Ukrainian counteroffensive as “very, very encouraging.”
The top US diplomat announced new aid to Ukraine totaling more than $1 billion during his visit, including Himars missile launch systems, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Abrams tanks and other weapons systems. The Pentagon said it would also send depleted uranium shells for Abrams tanks, a controversial form of ammunition.
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis called for an urgent investigation into drone debris discovered on his soil after Russian attacks on neighboring parts of Ukraine. Romania, a NATO member, had previously repeatedly rejected claims by Kiev that Iranian-made Russian drones crashed and detonated in Romanian territory during an attack on the Ukrainian port of Ismail on Sunday evening.
An official appointed by the Russian occupying power has admitted that Moscow’s troops have left the Ukrainian village of Robotyne, more than a week after Kiev announced its recapture. “The Russian army abandoned this settlement for tactical reasons, because in general it makes no sense to stay on a bare surface if there is no way to completely bury it. That’s why the Russian army went to the mountains,” said Yevgeny Balitsky, the top Moscow-appointed official in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The situation on the Eastern Front remains difficult and the main task of the Ukrainian troops is to ensure reliable defense and prevent the loss of bases, said the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. “The enemy is not giving up its plans to reach the border regions,” said Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The Ukrainian parliament approved the appointment of Rustem Umerov as the new defense minister. said one lawmaker. Umerov is a leading member of the Crimean Tatar community who has represented his country in sensitive negotiations with Russia. He replaces Oleksii Reznikov, who resigned at Zelenskiy’s instigation after 22 months in office.
Vladimir Putin’s nuclear “gangster” threats require a much more aggressive response from NATO, including the deployment of more nuclear-armed aircraft. said the Chief of General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces. Gen. Rajmund Andrzejczak also said he did not believe North Korea would prepare to sell weapons to Russia without China’s consent.