On September 6, Ukraine faced one of the deadliest strikes in months. At noon, a blast swept through streets surrounding a market in Konstantinivka, a town in eastern Ukraine. At least 15 people died and 30 were injured. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that Russian militants struck a civilian area.
Yet the attack may have been a tragic mistake by Kyiv. A fresh investigation published by The New York Times on Monday suggested that the devastating strike resulted from an errant Ukrainian air defense missile fired by a Buk launch system. Experts cited by the paper noted that the projectile hitting the market could have veered off course due to reasons such as electronic failure or damage to a guidance fin during launch.
Initially, Zelensky’s statements drew broad support. Konstantinivka lies in Donetsk region, located only about 26 kilometers from the front in nearby towns like Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have traded heavy fire for weeks. The proximity to the eastern front made the area more vulnerable to attack. Russia also carried out other strikes against civilians. Nevertheless, the Kremlin rejected the Ukrainian leader’s accusations.
At least 16 people died in Russian bombardment in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region. Russian forces attacked a market, shops, and a pharmacy, killing innocent people. The tally could rise further as more information emerges.
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The post by Volodymyr Zelensky on the social platform referenced above circulated widely, reflecting the immediate international reaction to the events.
The attack did not originate from Russian lines
The latest NYT investigation sheds more light on the sequence of events, pointing toward Kyiv as the source of the concussion. The report notes that the missile failure may have occurred amid the usual back-and-forth fighting in the region. American media reported that Ukrainian authorities initially limited journalists' access to the debris and impact site after the attack. Journalists eventually reached the scene, collecting fragments of the weapon.
Security camera analysis indicated that the missile approached Kostyantynivka from Ukrainian territory rather than from behind Russian lines. In practical terms, the attack would have been launched from the northwest. A short time before the strike, Ukrainian forces reportedly fired two surface-to-air missiles from the city of Druzhkivka, about 16 kilometers to the northwest, where NYT reporters were located.
Residents and soldiers confirmed to journalists that air defense missiles were headed toward enemy positions. The launches were timed to coincide with the market strike in Kostyantynivka at around 14:04, according to the investigation.
anti-aircraft missile
After examining debris found at the scene, the report identified the weapon as a 9M38 missile fired from a Buk mobile anti-aircraft system. Both Ukraine and Russia deploy this system. Ukrainian officials had previously asserted that the market attack used an S-300 missile, but the NYT investigation does not support that version.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian armed forces told The New York Times that the security service was examining the incident but could not provide further details due to national law restricting such disclosures.