An apparent Russian artillery strike targeted a bustling market in Kherson, Ukraine, on Tuesday, causing at least six fatalities and three injuries, according to officials.
The attack was possibly timed to coincide with a nationwide observance called Defenders Day being held by many Ukrainians, who paused for a minute of silence to honor military personnel and those who have died in the ongoing conflict.
The strike occurred in an otherwise crowded city center market. Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor, released a video depicting the aftermath, showing blurred bodies of civilians near stalls filled with fresh produce.
Ukraine's General Prosecutor's Office said that the strike was "most likely" fired by Russian artillery, which struck near a public transport stop.
Officials initially reported seven deaths, before later adjusting the figure to six, clarifying that one individual who was believed to be dead was alive and had been taken to hospital.
The war between Ukraine and Russia, now into its third year, has seen intensified clashes mainly in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces are engaged in a decisive push to gain territory ahead of winter.
In the strategic town of Vuhledar, Ukrainian defenses are under intense pressure, with fighting inching toward the town center.
Donetsk regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said on national television that the delivery of humanitarian aid has become almost impossible due to the escalating violence. At the moment, 107 residents remain in Vuhledar, though all children have reportedly been evacuated.
Ukrainian forces have retaliated against Russia with successful operations to gain control of territory in the Kursk border region.
Four regions— Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia—were illegally annexed by Russia in September 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding Ukraine's complete withdrawal from these areas, a request Ukraine steadfastly refuses.
The market strike unfolded on Defenders Day, a national holiday honoring the armed forces, veterans, and the fallen. Across the country, at precisely 9 a.m., traffic halted, and people stood still in solidarity, reflecting on the sacrifices made by those defending Ukraine.
In the capital city of Kyiv, mourners gathered at Independence Square holding portraits of deceased soldiers. Angelina Stashenko, grieving her brother Denys, who was killed in May, expressed her heartbreak: "For others, life goes on, but for us it stopped when my brother's heart stopped. I hope future generations will never forget the price our loved ones paid for their freedom."
Established in 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea, Defenders Day has come to symbolize national resilience. While no official statistics are available, it is estimated that tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have perished in the conflict over the past decade.
President Volodymyr Zelensky used the occasion to urge further support from Western partners. "The daily Russian terror, the daily attempts to destroy life—all this can be stopped," he said in a Telegram message following the Kherson strike.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press.
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