Hundreds of Ukrainians marched through Kyiv on Friday, urging the government to veto a bill that families of missing soldiers fear could lead to their loved ones being prematurely declared dead. The protest targeted Bill No. 13646, which addresses the legal status of missing persons. Participants argued that certain provisions could allow courts to declare missing military personnel legally dead before their fate is confirmed.
“Today all the families came out so that the missing are not equated with the dead,” said Mariana Yatselenko, 27, who took part in the march. According to Artur Dobrosierdov, Ukraine’s commissioner for missing persons, more than 90,000 people are listed as missing in the country’s unified registry of persons who disappeared under special circumstances. The registry covers those missing since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with some cases dating back to 2014.
Similar demonstrations have been held previously over the bill, reflecting growing pressure from relatives of missing soldiers. Neither Russia nor Ukraine publish regular casualty numbers, though analysts estimate hundreds of thousands of casualties in the fighting.
In other developments, Ukrainian drones hit a college dormitory in Russian-occupied Starobilsk, killing four and wounding 39, according to Russian authorities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced the strike as a “heinous crime.” Ukraine’s military reported intercepting 115 of 124 Russian drones overnight, while Russian officials said they intercepted 217 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed a fourth strike this month on Russia’s Yaroslavl oil refinery, part of efforts to deny Moscow funding for its invasion. On the battlefield, Ukrainian counterattacks have recaptured over 400 square kilometres in southern Ukraine since late last year, aided by homegrown drone and missile technology and denial of Starlink services to Russian forces.
Zelenskyy also warned that Russia may be planning new attacks on northern Ukraine from Belarus, stating that Moscow “is eager to draw Belarus deeper into this war.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha alerted NATO allies to growing threats from Belarus. Meanwhile, the Trump administration approved a $108 million arms sale to Ukraine for Hawk missile components.
