President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a child was among those killed on Wednesday in the city of Kostiantynivka, located close to the front lines in Donetsk province where heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces is under way.

“This Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible,” Zelenskyy said, describing it as an attack on a “peaceful city”.

“A regular market. Shops. A pharmacy. People who did nothing wrong,” Zelenskyy said on his official Telegram channel.

There was no immediate comment by Russia, which has denied deliberately targeting civilians.

At a news conference in Kyiv with visiting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Zelenskyy called the strike “deliberate”.

“Those who know this place are well aware that it is a civilian area,” he said.