Ukraine rejects report over deadly Kostiantynivka market strike

KYIV - Kyiv authorities on Tuesday rejected a New York Times report that a deadly strike in Kostiantynivka was the result of an “errant” Ukrainian air defence missile.

A strike by “Russian terrorists” on a market in the town of Kostiantynivka in the eastern region of Donetsk on Sept 6 killed 16 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the time.

But the New York Times said on Monday that the evidence it analysed suggested the strike was a “tragic mishap” and the result of a Ukrainian air defence missile going off course.

Ukraine’s SBU security service insisted Moscow was behind one of the deadliest strikes in recent weeks.

“The SBU is investigating yet another Russian war crime, which concerns the shelling of the market in Kostiantynivka by the Russians on Sept 6,” the SBU said, in a statement sent to AFP.

It accused the Russians of using an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system.

“In particular, this is evidenced by the identified fragments of the missile recovered at the scene of the tragedy,” the SBU said.

“The investigation is also examining a number of other materials that indicate the involvement of the enemy in this shelling,” the statement added.

The New York Times said the missile was fired by the Ukrainian army using a Buk launch system.

Both the Ukrainian and Russian armies use Soviet-designed BUKs and S-300s.

Mr Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, said on X (former Twitter): “The legal truth will be established.”

“In the meantime, we must not forget: it was Russia that launched the invasion of Ukraine and it is Russia that is responsible for bringing war to our country.”

The Russian army currently occupies around 18 per cent of Ukraine’s territory in the east and the south. AFP