KYIV, Ukraine — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for a high-profile visit signaling Berlin’s continued backing, landing in the Ukrainian capital even as Moscow ramped up its aerial offensive against cities nationwide.
The airspace war has intensified, with Russian forces deploying hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones against urban centers, while Kyiv has responded by striking Russia’s oil industry and commercial businesses.
“Ukraine is facing decisive weeks. That is why I traveled to Kyiv today with the message: You can rely on us,” Merz wrote on X, noting that Germany’s own security is inextricably linked to the outcome of the war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that Merz would hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Sybiha stated the agenda would focus on “strengthening Ukraine, our defense and resilience, and our shared European security.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry declared on Saturday that it would persist with “mass retaliatory strikes” on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, simultaneously urging foreign diplomats and nationals to leave the country. It issued a similar warning back in May.
A Russian drone struck Kyiv’s Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River again on Sunday morning. Video circulating on social media showed the drone flying into the structure and detonating as vehicles crossed. There was no immediate report of casualties.
The latest strike followed earlier assaults that forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges over the Dnipro River earlier this week, suspending traffic in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the capital. Russian forces have previously targeted apartment blocks, supermarket warehouses, gas stations, and data centers.
Russia invaded its neighbor more than 4½ years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement is currently feasible. Fighting along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line snaking through northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine has been virtually deadlocked in recent months.
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