Sawt Falasteen - Russian strikes hit Kyiv while Germany's Merz visits

The agreement includes combat drone weapons and support for Ukraine's battered energy sector, which Russia is targeting to cut off heating and power during the freezing winter months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X.

Merz was on a surprise visit to show European support as attacks increase -- and discovered the new reality of daily life in the Ukrainian capital.

Air raid sirens wailed repeatedly, including as Zelensky showed him the damage to the National Academy of Sciences, which was hit by a Russian attack drone on Monday, killing two.

"We can see the entire pointlessness of this war at this place," noted Merz.

"These barbarous attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop. These are war crimes that are being committed daily here."

One blast that was heard across the city damaged the road surface of the Northern Bridge -- one of several connecting the eastern and western parts of Kyiv over the Dnipro river which have been struck repeatedly in the last four days.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko has said the capital -- largely spared from the devastation wrought near the front line in more than four years of conflict -- should now be on a war footing.

Round-the-clock attacks have hit residential areas, petrol stations, schools, rail and communications infrastructure, while the near-constant air raid sirens disrupt daily life and put people on edge.

Merz warned as he arrived that support for Ukraine was vital for European security.

"If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us," he claimed.

Ukraine has repeatedly called for advanced interceptors to shoot down Russia's new fast-moving, jet-powered drones and powerful ballistic missiles.

The latest deal provides for the joint production of anti-jet drones, Merz told a joint news conference with Zelensky.

"Significant technical breakthroughs have already been achieved in this area in recent weeks," he added.

"Production is now being ramped up. This strengthens Ukrainian air defence quickly and significantly.

"We are supplying standoff weapons, combat drones and satellite technology so that Ukraine can also target Russian launch sites."

- Military support -

Russia's defence ministry vowed on Sunday to ramp up its strikes on military and related targets in Kyiv and elsewhere after Zelensky said this week that Ukraine would intensify its own attacks against oil facilities that it says supply Moscow's troops.

Merz called this week for NATO and European unity against Russia, as well as in his own country, where the far-right, Moscow-friendly AfD opposition is on the rise.

There have been increasing fears in Europe that it could find itself in Russia's crosshairs.

Security was a top concern for voters in this weekend's election in NATO member Latvia, which borders Russia.

On Saturday, Moscow warned foreigners and diplomats to leave Kyiv, saying "massive" new airstrikes would hit the city.

Leaders from countries allied to Ukraine have continued to make visits despite a similar threat made in May.

"The EU Delegation is staying. Threatening us will not stop Europe's support for Ukraine. It only reminds us why that support matters!" European Union ambassador Katarina Mathernova wrote on X on Sunday.

Merz told reporters he was unfazed by the threat but did not know if it had been made to coincide with his visit.

Russia has admitted deliberately targeting Ukraine's energy sector as winter approaches. Last year, similar attacks knocked out power and heating for days on end as temperatures plummeted to minus 20C.

In Kyiv, home to some three million people, residents are mulling what to do if that happens again, and there have been calls for the vulnerable and disabled to consider leaving.

Merz said Berlin's winter support programme was worth some 350 million euros to help provide generators, transformer stations and for grid repairs.

L.AbuTayeh--SF-PST