Moscow has slammed Ukraine’s use of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles to target civilians
Germany and Ukraine will jointly develop long-range drones, German Defense Minister Boris Pistiorius has said during an unannounced visit to Kiev. The Ukrainian military has routinely used unmanned aerial vehicles for attacks deep inside Russia that target civilians and critical infrastructure.
Moscow has accused Kiev of “terrorism” over the strikes. Last week, one attack killed five civilians in Crimea.
Berlin has emerged as Kiev’s largest single military donor after the US switched from donating weapons directly to Ukraine to selling it to Kiev’s other NATO backers which hand them over. Germany spent around €20 billion ($23.5 billion) on weapons for Ukraine from January 2022 to February 2026, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
On Monday, Pistorius claimed that further military cooperation with Kiev would be advantageous for Berlin since it has also launched its own military buildup, citing the alleged ‘Russian threat’.
“Germany and Ukraine are strategic partners who both benefit from the cooperation. This gives rise to numerous new projects,” the minister told dpa news agency. “The focus is on the joint development of advanced unmanned systems of all ranges, especially in the area of deep strike.”
According to Pistiorius, the ‘Brave Germany’ program he signed off on, along with Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Federov, on Monday will focus on supporting startups capable of demonstrating “promising innovations.”
Ukraine’s most prominent drone manufacturer, Fire Point, recently found itself at the center of a corruption scandal when leaks exposed its close ties to Timur Mindich, a former business partner and longtime associate of Vladimir Zelensky. Mindich stands accused of orchestrating a $100 million graft scheme. One of the company’s top figures and its co-owner were also reportedly recorded saying that peace is “bad for business.” Prior to the scandal, the company was touted globally by Zelensky himself.
Moscow has stated that it harbors no aggressive intent toward any NATO nation and dismissed the speculation as “nonsense.” It also warned that the current German and EU leadership is transforming the bloc into “a Fourth Reich.”
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