Merz pledges €1bn arms package in Kyiv as Russian drones hit North Bridge again
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv by train on Sunday, promising weapons and energy aid hours after Moscow told foreign visitors to leave the city.
Also in:DeutschEestiMagyarLietuviųLatviešuNederlandsPolskiRomânăSlovenčinaУкраїнська
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv by special train early on Sunday on an unannounced visit and promised Ukraine a weapons package worth one billion euros and 350 million euros in energy aid, Czech broadcaster ČT24 reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky put the total German support at more than 1.3 billion euros.
While Merz was in the city, Russian drones struck Kyiv's North Bridge over the Dnipro again. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were injured, one of whom was taken to hospital. The bridge had already been hit on Saturday, when its road surface and trolleybus power lines were damaged and traffic was stopped.
Merz travelled despite a warning from Russia's foreign ministry, issued a few hours before his arrival, urging foreign visitors and diplomats to leave Kyiv and to stay away from military and government buildings. Western embassies had prepared emergency evacuation plans, Romania's Antena 3 CNN reported.
On arrival, Merz said Russia's war machine would eventually turn against Germany if it was not stopped. He condemned the bombing of cities, homes and heating plants before the fifth winter of the war and addressed Vladimir Putin directly: "Herr Putin, end this senseless war," according to Swiss daily Blick. He said Germany was ready for talks on ending the war, but the attacks on civilians had to stop.
According to the German news agency dpa, cited by Blick, Berlin also plans to supply thousands of interceptor drones to counter Russia's jet-powered attack drones, and the one billion euros is meant for the production of long-range weapons. Economy minister Katherina Reiche and representatives of the defence and energy industries travelled with the chancellor.
Reiche met Ukraine's energy minister Denys Shmyhal. They discussed delivering liquefied natural gas to Ukraine through German infrastructure and bringing European companies into the operation of Ukraine's underground gas storage, Reuters reported, citing the Ukrainian energy ministry.
Merz also referred to drone incidents in Germany that Berlin blames on Russia, and said Russian attacks on Germany would not stop even if Berlin ended its support for Ukraine, ČT24 reported. It was the fourth visit to Ukraine by a German chancellor since the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
What we know
- 1 outlet · ČT24 Merz arrived in Kyiv by special train on Sunday on an unannounced visit.
- 1 outlet · ČT24 He announced a weapons package worth one billion euros and 350 million euros in energy aid, ČT24 reported.
- 1 outlet · ČT24 Zelensky said German support totalled more than 1.3 billion euros.
- Official · Klitschko Russian drones hit Kyiv's North Bridge again during the visit; Mayor Klitschko said two people were injured.
- Official · Russia's foreign ministry Russia's foreign ministry had urged foreign visitors and diplomats to leave Kyiv hours before.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Plans to deliver thousands of interceptor drones were reported by dpa, citing government sources; no quantity or date has been announced officially.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Germany is Ukraine's largest financial and military supporter in Europe, ČT24 reported, and the visit came days after Russian attacks left three of Kyiv's six road bridges over the Dnipro fully or partly impassable. The energy aid is aimed at the coming winter, after strikes on Ukrainian heating plants.
The talks on liquefied gas and Ukrainian gas storage concern European energy supply as well: Ukraine has offered Europe space in its underground storage sites. At home, further aid faces growing opposition from the AfD, the Left and the BSW, which gained in recent state elections.
Sources
Reported by 6 reports from 6 independent outlets in 5 countries.
- Antena 3 CNN: Ambasadele occidentale au pregătit planuri de evacuare de urgență din Kiev. Kremlinul le-a amenințat că „le paște pericol de moarte”
- n-tv: Kanzler ignoriert Putins Warnung : Merz, Reiche und Wirtschaftsdelegation besuchen Kiew
- Blick: Merz zu Solidaritätsbesuch in der Ukraine
- ČT24: Německý kancléř Merz přijel do Kyjeva
- 24 Kanal: Після удару по Північному мосту у Києві є постраждалі
Source balance
PremiumSee how the 6 outlets behind this story spread from left to right, and which are official or OSINT sources.
Free during the launch: create an account →Log inHow we rate sources
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, 1 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Launch offer: free for members until 31 October 2026
Questions and answers
- What did Merz promise Ukraine in Kyiv?
- A weapons package worth one billion euros and 350 million euros in energy aid, according to ČT24; Zelensky put the total at more than 1.3 billion euros.
- Was Kyiv attacked during Merz's visit?
- Yes. Russian drones hit the North Bridge over the Dnipro again, injuring two people, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
- Did Russia warn foreign visitors?
- Russia's foreign ministry urged foreign visitors and diplomats to leave Kyiv a few hours before Merz arrived.
This article was written with AI assistance from 6 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.