Ukrainian officials said at least 17 people were killed and many others wounded in a Russian missile strike on a busy market in the eastern city of Kostyantynivka, sparking immediate condemnation from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who hours earlier had met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Kyiv.

A video of the attack, posted on social media by Ukrainian officials, showed people falling in the streets running through the market in the industrial city, which is near Bakhmut and the front line of the war. 

Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 17 people were killed and 32 were injured, adding that the search and rescue operation had been completed. 

The attack came after Blinken met with top Ukrainian officials in an unannounced trip to Kyiv as he pledged U.S. support for Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive and “what it needs for the long term.” 

Blinken’s visit on September 6 also came just hours after the Ukrainian capital was again targeted by Russian missiles. 

In a statement, the State Department said Blinken's visit was intended to demonstrate the United States’ "unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy, especially in the face of Russia’s aggression." 

Unnamed U.S. officials told reporters traveling with Blinken that he would also announce a new military aid package of between $175 million and $200 million, with another, larger package expected to be announced later this week.

(Source: Radio Free Europe)