Ukrainian Missile may have caused the Tragedy in Kostiantynivka in which 15 People Died

The attack on the market in Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region on September 6, one of the deadliest since the start of the war in Ukraine, was most likely the result of a Ukrainian air defense missile being mistakenly fired.

That's according to a New York Times visual investigation published last night. At least 15 were killed and 30 injured when the market was hit, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia two hours after the incident. The media in Moscow immediately shifted the blame to Kyiv.

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"Evidence collected and analyzed by The New York Times, including missile fragments, satellite images, witness accounts and social media posts, strongly suggests that the catastrophic strike was the result of a Ukrainian air defense missile fired by a Buk system", the paper reported.

Witnesses are said to have heard or seen Ukrainian forces firing an anti-aircraft missile from Druzhkivka, 18km from Kostiantynivka, at the time of the strike. Evidence collected in the market indicates that precisely from this direction, i.e. from the northwest, came the missile. This, according to the media, can also be seen in the footage from a security camera, available from the moment of the explosion - the direction is from the territory controlled by Ukraine, and not from the side controlled by Russia. At the beginning of the video, passers-by even look in the direction the rocket is coming from.

Ukrainian authorities initially tried to prevent "New York Times" journalists from gaining access to the wreckage. In addition, Kyiv previously said it would not investigate the incident as it was "obvious" that it was a Russian missile strike.

These were two surface-to-air missiles, the launch of which was also heard by "New York Times" reporters who were in Druzhkivka at the time. Specifically, "Buk" missiles - which are used by both Ukraine and Russia - the unusually loud noise described by the locals during the launch can be connected (from their reports and publications on "Telegram" a conclusion can be drawn about the launch of missiles in the time around hit, shortly after 2 p.m. local time).

In addition, the S-300 missile, used according to Ukraine, has a different warhead than the one that exploded in the Kostiantynivka market. Experts who wished to remain anonymous connect the debris on the market with a 9M38 missile fired from "Buk".

An explosives expert explains that the hole formed and the damage in the area of the site also points to a northwesterly direction.

"Why the missile with a maximum range of 30 km may have landed in Kostiantynivka is unclear, but it is possible that it failed and crashed without reaching its intended target," the American newspaper continued. In that case, it most likely also landed with unspent fuel in the engine, which would have exploded or burned on impact, which could explain the burn marks on the rocket.

The strike coincides with an exchange of blows between Moscow and Kyiv for Kostiantynivka; the city was shelled by Russian forces the previous evening. In a Telegram group, artillery fire was reported minutes before the tragic events at the market.

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