16 Killed, including children, by a Russian attack east of Ukraine

At least 16 people, including children, were killed Wednesday by a Russian missile attack east of Ukraine.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, condemned the September 6th attack, saying the victims were “people who did nothing wrong”.

Zelensky said in Telegram that a market, shops and a pharmacy were hit in the eastern town of Kostiantinivka, near the battlefield.

The attack occurred on the day of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Kiev.

This evil Russia must be defeated as soon as possible”, Zelensky said.

Ukraine's Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, said 28 people were injured by this attack.

Twenty shops, power lines, an administrative building and a floor of a residential building were damaged, according to the attorney general's office.

Rescue teams are working to put out the fire, which damaged at least 30 open market tents, and are looking under the rubble for some stranded civilians.

Blinken is visiting Kiev with the intention of helping Ukraine's quarterly counteroffensive.

He hinted that the US would continue to support Ukraine, even though some Western allies have expressed their concerns about Kiev's slow progress in driving Russian forces out of its territory when it has been 18 months since Russia began its invasion, according to American officials,

“We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in its counteroffensive, but whatever it takes for a long time, to make sure that there is strong defence”, Blinken said. / REL