German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced more than $1.5 billion in new assistance for Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv on Sunday, as Russian attacks intensified across the country and pressure mounted on Ukraine’s air defences ahead of winter.
"I travelled to Kyiv today because Ukraine needs all our support in the coming weeks," Merz said in a written statement, saying that Russian forces were bombings towns, residential buildings and heating plants. "If Russia is not stopped, sooner or later its war machine will turn against us."
"I will tell President Zelenskyy today: 'You can continue to count on our help,'" Merz added
“We are launching another package of military support worth around 1 billion euros. We are providing funding for the joint production of anti-jet drones. Significant technological breakthroughs have already been achieved in recent weeks. Production is now also gaining pace. This will strengthen Ukraine's air defence quickly and noticeably, and that reinforcement is urgently needed,” Merz said the support would give Ukraine greater capacity to strike Russian launch sites.
Germany will also provide roughly $395 million in energy assistance to help Ukraine prepare for the winter. The funding will support generators, substations and repairs to infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv and Berlin had also signed 15 agreements worth more than €8.5 billion, or about $9.6 billion. The deals cover security cooperation, weapons production and procurement, as well as expanded joint efforts to develop counter-drone systems.
“This is weaponry that will help right now,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, adding that air defence remained a key priority.
Germany will support the joint production of drones designed to intercept Russia’s jet-powered drones, Merz said. He pointed to recent advances in the technology and said production could now be accelerated.
“This will quickly and tangibly strengthen Ukraine’s air defence,” Merz said, stressing that the capability was urgently needed.
Zelenskyy said Russia had launched around 900 jet-powered drones against Ukraine in the past week, with Ukrainian forces intercepting about half of them. He also highlighted the role of F-16 fighter jets and said he planned to discuss additional ammunition with US President Donald Trump.
"I would like to say to the Ukrainian people, as well as to the government: the German people stand behind Ukraine's government. And the German government stands behind the Ukrainian government. And we will do everything we can to help Ukraine until this terrible war finally comes to an end. And the Russian economy will not be able to sustain this indefinitely,” Merz responded.
Zelenskyy accused Moscow of avoiding meaningful peace negotiations, while saying Ukraine and Germany were working to advance diplomatic efforts with greater European involvement.
Germany is Ukraine’s largest donor and has provided more than $48.8 billion in assistance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
During their visit, Merz and Zelenskyy toured a damaged building belonging to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv. The site was hit in a Russian attack that killed two people on Monday.
With air raid sirens sounding across the capital, Merz condemned the attacks on civilians and called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
“These barbaric attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop,” Merz said, adding that Germany remained ready to engage in talks.
Zelenskyy described the attack as “absolutely terrible” and noted that Russian strikes were continuing even as the German chancellor was visiting Kyiv. He thanked Germany and other European partners for their support.
Merz also accused Russia of increasingly targeting Germany through cyberattacks, drone activity and disinformation campaigns. He said Russian aggression would not end if Germany reduced its support for Ukraine.
Germany has blamed Russia for a failed drone attack at Leipzig Airport in August and later announced the closure of its consulate in St. Petersburg, adding to the deterioration in bilateral relations.
Merz said Berlin would take additional measures to protect itself, including action against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers operating in the Baltic and North seas, as well as measures addressing airspace violations and drone attacks.
He also accused Moscow of using bots and other networks to spread disinformation in Germany, describing the fight over public opinion as a political struggle that Berlin needed to confront.
Tensions between Berlin and Moscow have also spilled into diplomatic relations. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month, in what was believed to be the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Lavrov rejected German calls to change course and accused Berlin of being one of Ukraine’s main backers and seeking a greater military role in Europe.
Russian attacks continued across Ukraine on Sunday, including another strike on Kyiv’s Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River. Footage circulating online showed a drone hitting the bridge as vehicles crossed it. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were wounded.
Since Thursday, Russian attacks have forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges, disrupting traffic and creating major congestion.
In the northeastern city of Sumy, one person was killed and 16 others wounded in a Russian aerial bomb attack, local officials said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it would intensify strikes on military-industrial facilities and related infrastructure in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine. The announcement came after Zelenskyy said Ukraine planned to step up attacks on Russian oil refineries.
More than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war remains unresolved. Fighting continues along a front line stretching roughly 1,250 kilometres across northern, eastern and southern Ukraine, with little indication of an imminent political settlement.
(With inputs from agencies)