A Russian artillery strike hit a crowded market in Kherson, Ukraine, on Tuesday, resulting in at least six deaths and three injuries, officials reported. The attack came amid the nationwide observance of Defenders Day, a day dedicated to honoring military personnel and those lost in the ongoing conflict.
The strike targeted a bustling city center, and regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin shared a disturbing video showing blurred bodies among stalls filled with produce. Ukraine’s General Prosecutor’s Office stated the attack was “most likely” executed by Russian artillery near a public transport stop.
Efrem Lukatsky/AP
While initial reports indicated seven fatalities, officials later revised this number to six after confirming that one victim was alive and receiving medical attention.
The ongoing war, now in its third year, has escalated in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russian troops are fiercely battling to secure territory as winter approaches. Ukrainian defenses in the vital town of Vuhledar are facing significant challenges, with heavy fighting moving toward the town center. Donetsk regional Governor Vadym Filashkin mentioned that humanitarian aid delivery has become perilous, leaving only 107 residents—without any children—remaining in Vuhledar.
In response, Ukrainian forces have successfully executed operations in the Kursk border region, regaining some territory.
Efrem Lukatsky/AP
In September 2022, Russia illegally annexed four regions—Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia—and President Vladimir Putin demands Ukraine withdraw from these areas, a request Kyiv firmly rejects.
The market strike occurred on Defenders Day, a holiday that pays tribute to the armed forces, veterans, and those who have fallen. At 9 a.m., citizens across Ukraine observed a moment of silence, halting traffic and reflecting on the sacrifices made in defense of their country.
In Kyiv, mourners at Independence Square held portraits of fallen soldiers. Angelina Stashenko lamented her brother Denys, who was killed in May, insisting that while life moves on for many, it has not for her family: “Our lives stopped when my brother’s heart stopped. I hope future generations will never forget the price our loved ones paid for their freedom.”
Defenders Day was established in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and has come to embody national resilience. Although exact figures are scarce, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have reportedly died in the conflict over the past decade.
President Volodymyr Zelensky took the opportunity to call for increased support from Western allies, emphasizing through a Telegram message, “The daily Russian terror, the daily attempts to destroy life—all this can be stopped,” following the tragic strike in Kherson.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press.