Merz in Kyiv promises more weapons: ‘In future, Russia will be against us’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arrived in Kyiv with a pledge of further military and economic aid to Ukraine, at a time when Moscow is stepping up its attacks on the capital and with winter approaching. In particular, as reported by the German news agency DPA, the Chancellor is arriving in Ukraine with a commitment to supply thousands of interceptor drones and to speed up the production of long-range systems.

“If Russia does not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us,” said Merz, who arrived in Kyiv by train, accompanied by the Minister for Economic Affairs, Katherina Reiche, and ten heads of business, energy and defence companies. “I am here today because Ukraine needs all our support in the coming weeks,” added the Chancellor, who is taking action following Russia had urged foreign diplomats to leave the city, as the intensity of the massive raids on the capital has escalated, now taking place on a daily basis and throughout the day.

Attacks that, as Russia has made clear, are set to continue. “Today I will tell the President” Volodymyr Zelensky “that they can continue to count on our help,” Merz stated, hinting at cooperation agreements between German and Ukrainian companies. The Chancellor organised the mission to Ukraine, which had not been announced in advance, at a time of significant domestic turmoil, with the AfD gaining ground in the country’s eastern states and his own party in decline.

Meanwhile, it is reported that in the first eight months of 2026, an average of over 400 civilians were killed or injured each week in Ukraine, representing a 55 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025. This was stated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. The office documented 15,280 civilians killed or injured in the first eight months of the year. Furthermore, ‘shocking’ levels of sexual violence against civilians and prisoners of war have been reported.