Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul condemned Russia's escalating drone and missile assault on Ukraine on Saturday, as he arrived in Kyiv to demonstrate Berlin's continued support, DW reports.
"Ukraine is celebrating its 35th Independence Day these days. At the same time, Putin's rockets and drones are attacking the country more relentlessly than ever before," Wadephul wrote on X.
"The Russian attacks are deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure such as power and heating supply," he wrote, adding Germany was "working to support Ukraine in its winter preparations."
Germany's top diplomat met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later on Saturday.
"We discussed strengthening air defense and supporting our people ahead of the winter period," Zelenskyy said on social media.
"This is priority number one, and I am grateful to Germany for its leadership on this issue and for its efforts to provide us with as much assistance as possible," he added. "We also discussed the work of our teams on an agreement in the Drone Deal format, so that we can sign it in the near future."
Ukraine will mark the 35th anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union on August 24. This will be its fifth straight Independence Day fighting Russia's invasion, which began in February 2022.
Wadephul's visit to Ukraine comes amid increasing Russian air assaults and what he called "indiscriminate murder of civilians."
As Wadephul and Zelenskyy attended the 9th International Veterans Forum, air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv as Russian missiles attacked the nearby suburb of Boryspil. At least two people were killed in the attack.
Earlier on Saturday morning, drone and missile attacks also killed at least two people in Kyiv and the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.
On Friday, an attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih killed at least 15 people and injured more than 100.
