t least 17 folks together with a child have been killed in a Russian missile assault on a market within the Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka, authorities have stated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the assault and warned the death toll may improve.

He stated on the Telegram messaging app {that a} market, outlets and a pharmacy had been hit within the city in Ukraine’s japanese Donetsk area, close to the entrance line.

“This Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible,” Mr Zelensky added.

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"When someone in the world still attempts to deal with anything Russian, it means turning a blind eye to this reality. The audacity of evil. The brazenness of wickedness. Utter inhumanity."

He later advised a press convention in Kyiv that he believed it had been a deliberate assault on "a peaceful city".

"This is one more terrorist attack by the Russian Federation. They deliberately hit the market," he stated.

Among the lifeless is a toddler, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated. At least 32 folks had been wounded, based on Internal Minister Ihor Klymenko.

Emergency service employees extinguished the fireplace that broken about 30 pavilions on the out of doors market, Mr Klymenko added.

Police stated the market had been crowded when it was hit at round 2.00pm (11am GMT), and that just about 30 procuring kiosks, an condominium block, a financial institution and automobiles had been broken.

The search and rescue operation in Kostyantynivka has been accomplished, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram.

Journalists on the website of the assault described seeing lined our bodies on the bottom and emergency employees extinguishing fires at market stalls, with blackened and mangled automobiles close by. Emergency crews searched the rubble for any trapped civilians.

Kostiantynivka, which had a inhabitants of about 70,000 earlier than Russia’s invasion 18 months in the past, is about 30 km (19 miles) from the devastated metropolis of Bakhmut, the place preventing has been heavy for months.

The assault coincided with a go to to Kyiv by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who was anticipated to announce greater than $1 billion in new American funding.

He was anticipated to satisfy with President Zelensky and different prime officers to debate the continuing counteroffensive and reconstruction efforts.

On the prepare journey to Kyiv, Blinken met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, additionally on an official go to, to debate the warfare.

Blinken thanked her for Denmark's management in a coalition coaching Ukrainian pilots on F-16s and for promising to donate the fighter jets to Ukraine, based on State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Russia didn't instantly touch upon the assault, and has denied intentionally focusing on civilians. The Kremlin had earlier on Wednesday stated of Blinken's go to that Moscow believed Washington deliberate to proceed funding Ukraine's navy "to wage this war to the last Ukrainian".