Russia kills 6 in Kyiv as Ukraine's election debate erupts
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- Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, killing at least six people and wounding 33, collapsing residential buildings and damaging a children’s hospital.
- Yevhenii Khmara was confirmed as Ukraine’s new defense minister by a vote of 312-2, replacing Mykhailo Fedorov amid a leadership shake-up in the military establishment.
- Mykhailo Fedorov, the ousted defense minister, called for Ukraine to hold wartime elections, citing a 'systemic crisis of governance' and sparking public demonstrations in Kyiv.
- Vitali Klitschko reported that parts of Kyiv’s Solomianskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts lost power and people were trapped under rubble following the missile strikes.
- Dozens of demonstrators rallied in Kyiv supporting Fedorov’s call for elections, expressing frustration over prolonged martial law and lack of democratic renewal.
Why it matters: The simultaneous escalation of Russian attacks and internal political dissent sharpens the strain on Zelenskyy’s leadership: civilian casualties mount just as confidence in wartime governance faces its most visible challenge since 2022, with a former minister and public protesters demanding electoral legitimacy despite legal barriers.
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