Blinken, in Kyiv, Says U.S. Will Send $1 Billion More in Aid

He shortly fled together with his spouse and daughter.

By Wednesday night, the loss of life toll had reached 17, together with one little one. Greater than 30 different folks had been injured, two significantly, officers mentioned. It was one of many deadliest strikes to hit Ukraine in months.

The assault clouded Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken’s unannounced go to to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, the identical day, one of many highest-level visits by a U.S. official to there since President Biden visited in February. Mr. Blinken met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, introduced greater than $1 billion in new U.S. support for Ukraine and praised its folks’s valor and resilience within the face of what he known as Russia’s “horrific” aggression.

The Ukrainian prosecutor’s workplace mentioned {that a} search-and-rescue operation was underway Kostyantynivka and that some folks remained underneath the rubble. The assault, it added, broken 20 retailers, in addition to administrative and residential buildings.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine greater than 18 months in the past, Russia has unleashed large-scale barrages of missiles, rockets and drones at cities and cities away from the entrance line, in a marketing campaign supposed partly to destroy civilian infrastructure and in addition apparently aimed to terrorize and demoralize the native inhabitants.

In June, a missile tore right into a crowded restaurant that was fashionable with troopers, international journalists and support staff in Kramatorsk, 15 miles north of Kostyantynivka. That assault killed 13 folks and injured dozens extra.

The warfare has lengthy been a every day actuality within the metropolis. It lies about 15 miles west of the frontline metropolis of Bakhmut, which was captured by Russian forces in Might. In April, Russian shelling killed six civilians in Kostyantynivka and wounded 11 others.

Denise Brown, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, condemned the Wednesday assault in a press release, including that deliberately directing an assault towards civilians or launching one figuring out it could trigger disproportionate civilian hurt was a warfare crime.

“Worldwide humanitarian legislation have to be revered,” she mentioned. “The folks of Ukraine want this merciless devastation to cease.”

Individuals had been wandering by way of a small maze of shops promoting greens, native honey and {hardware} when the assault occurred. The aroma of rotisserie rooster and kebab was wafting previous produce stands and clothes stalls. One store bought Ukrainian army uniforms and different war-related objects.

Mr. Zgonnik was close to his personal retailer, the place he bought sizzling canines, hamburgers and ice cream, when, round 2 p.m., he heard a piercing whistle over the standard chatter. After which, quickly after, an explosion erupted.

By Wednesday night, the darkish smoky plumes from the fires had settled on the market, leaving scorched storefronts and charred wood constructions. The skeletal stays of singed automobiles had been deserted on mud and soaked sidewalks, the place firefighters had extinguished buildings engulfed in flames. Reminders of the market’s earlier vibrancy lay scattered on the sidewalks amid swimming pools of blood: child wipes, produce stacked in bins, a stray sandal.

A few dozen folks stood behind police tape. Some had been shopkeepers trying to salvage what they may from the rubble. Mr. Zgonnik was amongst them, having returned to see what was left of his retailer and the market.

“The scary factor is that I do know all of the individuals who had been there — all of them,” he mentioned. “Three of them burned, simply burned.”

Others on the website had been looking for kin, hoping they weren’t among the many our bodies mendacity within the rubble or being carried out by rescue staff in black physique baggage.

Pugach Olena, 26, mentioned she believed considered one of her seven sisters, Samarkina Valeriia, who ran a stall on the market, had died within the assault.

Ms. Olena had been at house when she obtained a name from one other sister in regards to the blast. Terrified, she drove to the market.

“I arrived; it was all in smoke,” she mentioned. “I ran; it was unimaginable to get there. I went round to the opposite aspect and noticed that her kiosk was on fireplace. There have been our bodies mendacity there. Her kiosk and the one subsequent to it had been burned.”

Ms. Olena was instructed to search for her sister on the morgue.

It was exhausting to establish folks there, she mentioned. Two had been so severely burned that they had been unrecognizable. She introduced her mom, and so they each took DNA assessments to assist with an identification.

Will probably be two days, Ms. Olena was instructed, till the household could have its reply.

Anastasia Kuznietsova and Marc Santora contributed reporting.