Kyiv protest leader drops call for elections as Russian strikes on capital kill at least 16
The organiser of protests over Mykhailo Fedorov's dismissal as defence minister has distanced himself from Fedorov's demand for elections, as a heavy Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv killed at least 16 people.
Dmytro Koziatynskyi, the combat medic who led weeks of protests against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to sack Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister, has effectively called off the demonstrations after Fedorov demanded elections be held. Koziatynskyi said he could not imagine holding a vote while troops remain at the front, stressing the protests had been about pushing for dialogue with the government, not electoral politics — which is considered impossible and illegal under Ukrainian law during wartime. By Wednesday only a few dozen people remained in the central Kyiv square that once drew thousands of protesters. Opposition figures and analysts described Fedorov's election call as a political misstep that risks damaging his standing before any realistic vote could take place. Parliament this week strongly backed Fedorov's successor as defence minister, Yevhenii Khmara, while the protests also pushed Zelenskyy to replace the unpopular armed forces chief Oleksandr Syrskyi with younger reformer Mykhailo Drapatyi.
Deadly strikes on Kyiv
On Thursday Ukraine suffered one of the most intense aerial assaults on its capital since the war began, with Russian missiles and drones killing at least 16 people in and around Kyiv. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said homes, a school and a children's medical centre were among the buildings damaged. Zelenskyy called for a global response, warning that without adequate anti-ballistic defences, Russia will not take peace talks seriously.
Wider developments
A Romanian F-16 destroyed an explosives-laden Russian marine drone near the Neptun Deep gas project, prompting condemnation from Romania's president. Poland arrested a Ukrainian man suspected of planting an explosive device targeting an arms industry representative on behalf of Russian intelligence. Ukraine's military struck an oil refinery in Tatarstan and an oil terminal in Krasnodar region, sparking fires. Meanwhile, fuel shortages in Moscow have led to long queues and reported fistfights at petrol stations.
