German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Kyiv on Sunday as air-raid sirens sounded, with Berlin set to release about 1 billion euros in military aid and 350 million euros for energy repairs while a Russian strike damaged a bridge over the Dnipro.
Air-raid sirens and explosions sounded in Kyiv on Sunday as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and urged Russia to stop escalating attacks, Reuters reported.
German government officials said Merz would announce the release of 1 billion euros, about 1.13 billion dollars, in military aid and 350 million euros for energy-sector repairs. A deal for joint production of drones was also due to be finalized. Merz traveled with defence executives.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that one Russian strike hit the Northern Bridge across the Dnipro and damaged its roadway. Reuters reported four air-raid alerts in the capital on Sunday morning.
Zelenskiy had said earlier in the week, after a phone call with Merz, that Ukraine expected to finalize a deal with Germany covering drones, missiles and related software. A focus of that work is rapid production of anti-jet drones.
Merz also planned to press Kyiv on anti-corruption and other reforms backed by the European Union. bne IntelliNews, citing the Kyiv Independent and Zelenskiy's Telegram account, reported that the two sides signed 15 documents, most on security cooperation and procurement, which Zelenskiy valued at more than 8.5 billion euros.