Ukraine – France condemns in the strongest possible terms the despicable attack on the Kostiantynivka market and the latest strikes on the Izmail district (September 7, 2023)

France condemns in the strongest possible terms the despicable attack on the Kostiantynivka market in the Donetsk region, which left 16 people dead and 34 injured, as well as the latest drone strikes on the Izmail district in the Odesa region, which damaged port infrastructure and left one person injured.

By deliberately targeting a market and people who were going about their most basic daily activities, Russia is, once again, guilty of committing war crimes with its strategy of terror and must be held responsible for them.

For the fourth time in five days, Russia has targeted the port of Izmail, which has become essential to the continued exportation of Ukrainian agricultural goods since Russia blocked its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative. In doing so, Russia is continuing its cynical blackmail of global food security while simultaneously claiming that it is contributing to it. This methodical destruction of Ukrainian port and agricultural facilities once again shows that Russia is doing everything it can to undermine the international community’s efforts to deliver foodstuffs to the most vulnerable countries, which have been hit hard by the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression.

As Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna has repeatedly emphasized, France is maintaining – and will continue to maintain – its support for Ukraine for as long as it takes to help that country ensure its legitimate defense, strengthen its resilience and combat impunity for atrocities committed by Russia. As the Minister has stated, France will continue to denounce these crimes and take action to strengthen global food security, which Russia is using as a political weapon in support of its unjustified and illegal war.