KYIV, Oct 4,(GM/NET) : Ukraine and Germany have signed a $1.5-billion
weapons deal to help fight the surge in Russian drone attacks, while fresh
strikes and air raid sirens greeted Chancellor Friedrich Merz on a solidarity
visit on Sunday.
The agreement includes combat drone weapons and support for Ukraine’s
battered energy sector, which Russia is targeting to cut off heating and
power during the freezing winter months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky wrote on X.
Merz, on a surprise visit to show European support as attacks increase,
discovered the new reality of daily life in the Ukrainian capital.
Air raid sirens wailed repeatedly, including as Zelensky showed him the
damage to the National Academy of Sciences, which was hit by a Russian attack
drone on Monday, killing two.
“We can see the entire pointlessness of this war at this place,” noted Merz.
“These barbarous attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop.
These are war crimes that are being committed daily here.”
One blast that was heard across the city damaged the road surface of the
Northern Bridge — one of several connecting the eastern and western parts of
Kyiv over the Dnipro river, which have been struck repeatedly in the last
four days.
– Round-the-clock attacks –
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko has said the capital — largely spared from the
devastation wrought near the front line in more than four years of conflict –
– should now be on a war footing.
Round-the-clock attacks have hit residential areas, petrol stations, schools,
rail and communications infrastructure, while the near-constant air raid
sirens disrupt daily life and put people on edge.
As he arrived, Merz said that support for Ukraine was vital for European
security.
“If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against
us,” he claimed.
Ukraine has repeatedly called for advanced interceptors to shoot down
Russia’s new fast-moving, jet-powered drones and powerful ballistic missiles.
The latest deal provides for the joint production of anti-jet drones, Merz
told a joint news conference with Zelensky.
“Significant technical breakthroughs have already been achieved in this area
in recent weeks,” he added.
“Production is now being ramped up. This strengthens Ukrainian air defence
quickly and significantly.
“We are supplying standoff weapons, combat drones and satellite technology so
that Ukraine can also target Russian launch sites.”
– Military support –
Talks to end Europe’s worst conflict since World War II have been at a
standstill and both sides have promised to ramp up long-range attacks on
military and related targets.
But Zelensky said Sunday that the United States was proposing “technical
level” talks with both sides by the end of this month, possibly including UAE
mediators.
“We respond positively to negotiations,” he added.
Merz called this week for NATO and European unity against Russia, as well as
in his own country, where the far-right, Moscow-friendly AfD opposition is on
the rise.
There have been increasing fears in Europe that it could find itself in
Russia’s crosshairs.
Security was a top concern for voters in this weekend’s election in NATO
member Latvia, which borders Russia.
On Saturday, Moscow warned foreigners and diplomats to leave Kyiv, saying
“massive” new airstrikes would hit the city.
Leaders from countries allied to Ukraine have continued to make visits
despite a similar threat made in May.
“The EU Delegation is staying,” European Union ambassador Katarina Mathernova
wrote on X on Sunday.
“Threatening us will not stop Europe’s support for Ukraine,” she added. “It
only reminds us why that support matters!”
Merz told reporters he was unfazed by the threat but did not know if it had
been made to coincide with his visit.
Russia has admitted deliberately targeting Ukraine’s energy sector as winter
approaches. Last year, similar attacks knocked out power and heating for days
on end as temperatures plummeted to minus 20C.
In Kyiv, home to some three million people, residents are mulling what to do
if that happens again, and there have been calls for the vulnerable and
disabled to consider leaving.
Merz said Berlin’s winter support programme was worth some 350 million euros
to help provide generators, transformer stations and for grid repairs.
