Germany Kiev thanks for German military aid - Moscow attacks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has thanked Germany for the billion-euro aid package in the fight against the Russian war of aggression.
22.03.2025, 05:29
SDA
According to a message published on the X platform, Germany is providing exactly what is helping to save lives in Ukraine. His express thanks go to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his likely successor in office Friedrich Merz (CDU). "Thank you, Germany!", Selenskyj wrote in German.
"The additional military aid will help strengthen our capabilities in the areas of air defense, artillery, drones, armored vehicles, mine clearance equipment and other areas," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on Platform X. "We are grateful to Germany for its strategic investment in a just and long-term peace and security in Ukraine and throughout Europe."
The German weapons have already saved thousands of lives in Ukraine. "They will save even more this year and in the years to come," said Sybiha. A strong Ukrainian army will be the most important security factor in Ukraine and Europe in the coming years.
Germany approves billions for Ukraine
The Bundestag Budget Committee had previously approved a long-disputed billion-euro package for Ukraine. The package involves an additional 3 billion euros for this year and up to 8.3 billion euros for 2026 to 2029. The money is also intended to compensate for the lack of US aid. The aid package and the question of how it should be financed had been the subject of long disputes before the parliamentary elections.
According to the Ministry of Defense, additional weapons are now to be delivered to Ukraine this year. A spokesperson named the Iris-T air defense system, guided missiles, surveillance radars, drones, combat vehicles and small arms. According to government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, German aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion has amounted to more than 44 billion euros.
Russia, on the other hand, criticizes the continued supply of weapons by Germany and other Western states to Kiev as an attempt to continue the war in Ukraine.
Dead and injured in Ukraine after Russian air strikes
Meanwhile, Ukraine experienced another night of Russian air strikes. According to the authorities, at least two people were killed and four others injured in the Sumy region in north-eastern Ukraine. According to the public prosecutor's office, the Russians dropped six glide bombs in the village of Krasnopillja. In another village, two people were injured in an attack on a motorcycle. There were also air raids in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and other parts of the country.
In Kiev, Mayor Vitali Klitschko called on people to seek safety in shelters in the evening. The air defense was active against drone attacks, he announced. According to Klitschko, debris from a downed flying object hit a building in the capital, resulting in a fire. There was initially no information about casualties.
Three people died in a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhia. A further twelve residents were injured in the drone attack, the authorities announced in the evening.
Ukrainian media reported Russian air strikes with drones and glide bombs in various parts of the country. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for more than three years.
Injured also in Russia after Ukrainian drone attack
Russia also reported further drone attacks from the Ukrainian side. In the city of Rostov-on-Don, a drone exploded on the 17th floor of a house, as the acting governor Yuri Slyussar announced on his Telegram channel. Two people were injured.
The warring parties, who are in separate talks with the USA, repeatedly accuse each other of having no interest in ending the fighting. However, both sides always emphasize that they are ready to negotiate an end to the conflict. This Monday, new talks are planned in Saudi Arabia between US representatives and Ukrainians on the one hand and Russian representatives on the other. Direct talks between Russians and Ukrainians, as at the beginning of the war in spring 2022, are not yet in sight.
Following talks with Zelensky and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his goal of resolving the conflict. Following a phone call with Trump last Tuesday, Putin agreed to stop air strikes against Ukrainian energy facilities as a first step. According to the Kremlin, the order is already in force. However, Ukraine is accusing Russia of breaking its word with regard to the ongoing airstrikes.
An exchange of prisoners announced by Putin and Trump during the phone call was implemented. In his evening video address, Zelensky said that 4,306 people had already been returned from Russian captivity. The aim is to bring everyone home, Selensky emphasized. He did not give a figure.
