German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for an unannounced visit to demonstrate Berlin’s support as Russian attacks on Ukraine intensify, according to RMF24 – fakty.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Merz announced a military aid package worth more than one billion euros focused on anti-drone technology.
“Today I brought concrete help, another package of military aid worth over a billion euros. We are allocating these funds for the joint production of drones to combat jet-propelled drones. In recent weeks, a significant technological breakthrough has been achieved in this field, and now we are quickly launching their serial production,” the German chancellor said.
Merz added that Germany will also supply Ukraine with long-range weapons, combat drones and satellite equipment to help Ukrainian forces more effectively counter Russian launchers.
Energy sector support before winter
The German leader announced that Berlin will provide Ukraine with approximately 350 million euros in energy sector assistance before winter. The funds will be allocated for electricity generators, transformer stations and repair kits to rebuild damaged infrastructure.
President Zelenskyy said that results from work on combating jet-propelled drones using small missiles should appear in the second half of October. “Next in line are small missiles, a small missile programme. We will most likely see results this month. At the end, in the second half of this month,” he stated.
The Ukrainian president noted that mass production will depend on the results achieved. “And if there are results, we will immediately be able to achieve the appropriate production scale,” he added.
Air raid sirens sound during chancellor’s visit
As news outlets reported Merz’s arrival in Kyiv, air raid sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital. By the afternoon, warning sirens alerting to Russian drone attacks had wailed four more times.
During the German chancellor’s visit, Russian forces attacked the North Bridge over the Dnipro River with a drone, located approximately five kilometres in a straight line from the Ukrainian president’s headquarters. Two people were injured in the attack.
At the subsequent press conference, Merz appealed to Vladimir Putin to end the war. “This morning, on a quiet Sunday, an air raid siren sounded in Kyiv. I can only repeat from here once again: Mr Putin, please end this senseless war,” he said. “We are ready for talks, we are ready to discuss ending this war. But these barbaric attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop,” the German leader stressed.
Zelenskyy also revealed that work is underway to enable F-16 multirole fighters to use 5,000 to 6,000 rounds of 20mm calibre ammunition per day. He said he had been in contact with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on the matter and planned further discussions with both Tusk and French President Emmanuel Macron.
What this means for Poles in Poland
The intensification of German military support to Ukraine comes as Poland continues to play a key role in coordinating Western aid to Kyiv. President Zelenskyy’s disclosure that he discussed F-16 ammunition supply with Prime Minister Tusk highlights Poland’s ongoing involvement in Ukraine’s defence needs. For Poles, this underscores Poland’s strategic position as both a NATO frontline state and a principal logistics hub for military assistance flowing to Ukraine. The development of anti-drone technology through German-Ukrainian cooperation may also have implications for Poland’s own defence modernisation, given the country’s proximity to the conflict and its substantial investment in counter-drone capabilities. As Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure continue, Poland remains a critical transit point for energy and humanitarian aid, a role that is likely to expand as Germany commits further support before the coming winter.
