Russia’s fierce airstrike on a supermarket in Donetsk, Ukraine, 14 people killed

A Russian missile struck a supermarket in the Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region on Friday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 43 others, Ukrainian authorities said. Photos and videos posted by officials showed black smoke rising from the damaged building.

The Ukrainian interior minister later said the fire had been brought under control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media platform X, “Russian terrorists attacked a supermarket and a post office. People are buried under the rubble.”

‘It is not right to target civilians’

Kostiantynivka is located about 13 kilometers from the active battle line in the east of Ukraine. Russia has been continuously shelling and carrying out air strikes on Ukrainian government-held parts of the Donetsk region. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said on X, “No situation on the battlefield can justify targeting civilians.”

There was no immediate comment from Moscow. Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians. Ukrainian regional governor Vadim Filashkin said Russia had used artillery but later said it had attacked with an air-to-surface Kh-38 missile.

Homes, shops and dozens of cars damaged

Novaya Poshta, Ukraine’s largest private postal company, said its cargo office in the supermarket was damaged in the attack. “All our employees are alive. One colleague is injured – he is receiving all necessary help,” the company said on X.

According to a post by the Ukrainian Home Minister on Telegram, houses, shops and more than a dozen cars were also damaged in the attack. Ukraine’s Donetsk region has been one of the most active areas of fighting from where Russia launched its attacks.