German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth more than 1.3 billion euros (£1.1 billion) during a visit to Kyiv as Russia escalated its attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The aerial war has intensified, with Moscow menacing cities across Ukraine with hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, while Kyiv has been striking Russia’s oil industry and businesses.
About a billion euros (£850 million) of the package is military aid, including long-range strike weapons, combat drones and satellite technology, “so that Ukraine can also target Russian launch pads”, Mr Merz said at a news conference.
Germany is also providing 350 million euros (£300 million) in energy aid ahead of winter for generators, substations and repair work, he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the two countries also signed 15 agreements worth more than 8.5 billion euros (£7.2 billion), mostly covering security co-operation, weapons production and procurement, as well as a deal to expand joint counter-drone efforts.
“This is weaponry that will help right now,” Mr Zelenskyy said, adding they also discussed the need for air defence, which he called “key” at this time.
At the news conference, Mr Zelensky said Mr Merz’s visit amid Russian attacks was “an important signal of support for Ukraine and of the courage of Germany and all of Europe”.
Germany will fund the joint production of drones designed to intercept Russia’s jet-powered drones, Mr Merz said, adding that “significant technical breakthroughs” in recent weeks were speeding up production.
“This will quickly and tangibly strengthen Ukraine’s air defence. And this strengthening is urgently needed.”
Mr Zelensky called jet-powered drones a growing challenge, saying Russia had launched 900 this week alone and Ukraine was able to intercept only around half.
He highlighted the role of F-16 fighter jets in countering the threat and said he would speak with US President Donald Trump about securing more ammunition.
He accused Moscow of avoiding meaningful peace talks, while saying Ukraine and Germany were working to advance diplomacy with European participation.
The Russians are escalating. I am not surprised by Russia’s hatred of Ukraine, but I am surprised by this approach. They struck our warehouses – Nova Poshta, Ukrposhta, and others. We gave them a fitting response with Wildberries.
Now they are striking bridges. Do they really… pic.twitter.com/eMtTs4Mb8E
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 4, 2026
Germany is Ukraine’s largest donor, sending Kyiv more than 43.3 billion euros (£36.8 billion) since the war began, along with equipment and weapons.
The two leaders visited a building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv which was damaged in a Russian attack that killed two people on Monday.
“These barbaric attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop. These are daily war crimes,” Mr Merz said at the site, a few hundred metres from the German Embassy.
He urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end “this senseless war”, adding: “We’re ready to talk.”
Speaking in English, Mr Zelensky called the attack on the academy “absolutely terrible” and noted that Moscow was carrying out strikes even while the chancellor was in Kyiv. He thanked Mr Merz for the visit, saying Ukraine was buoyed by its “strong partners”.
Mr Merz said Russia’s aggression towards Germany went beyond a failed drone attack at Leipzig Airport in early August, pointing to daily attacks on the country’s data centres and data networks.
“None of this will stop if we stop helping Ukraine,” he said. “On the contrary, it will only get worse after that.”
Germany has blamed Moscow for the incident at Leipzig and in early September announced the closure of the German Consulate in St Petersburg, the latest in a cycle of tit-for-tat moves.
Mr Merz said Germany would take further steps to defend itself, including against Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers in the Baltic Sea and North Sea, air space violations and drone attacks.
He also accused Moscow of waging systematic disinformation campaigns in Germany through bots and collaborators. “This is the political battle of ideas that we must wage in Germany,” he said, adding that he was “more determined than ever” to fight it because the country’s “peaceful and free future” was at stake.
The German and Russian foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting last month in what was believed to be the first such face-to-face meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia’s Sergei Lavrov rejected German calls to ease off its “dangerous path of escalation” and accused Berlin of being Ukraine’s main sponsor and seeking to be a leading military power in Europe.
Russian attacks damaged Kyiv’s Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River again on Sunday. Video circulating on social media showed a drone striking the bridge and exploding as vehicles crossed. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were wounded.
Russian assaults since Thursday have forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital.
One person was killed and 16 wounded on Sunday in a Russian aerial bomb attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, local officials said.
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