German Chancellor in Kyiv urges Putin to end 'senseless war'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war during a Kyiv visit on Sunday, calling attacks on civilians "daily war crimes" amid ongoing drone strikes. Merz made the appeal at the ruins of Kyiv's National Academy of Sciences, hit by a Russian drone attack that killed one woman and injured six. Merz, accompanied by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, spoke as drone alarms sounded and a strike hit Kyiv's Northern Bridge about 5km from his location. He said Russian warnings and attacks would not deter him, noting he was aware of three alerts but did not take shelter. Russia launched 135 drones on Sunday, with additional strikes reported in Sumy and Dnipro. Merz pledged further German military and financial support, including thousands of interceptor drones and accelerated long-range weapons production. Russia's defence ministry announced plans to intensify strikes, blaming Zelenskyy for escalation. Ukraine has expanded attacks on Russian oil refineries in recent months, with Merz warning that if Russia is not stopped, "its war machine will sooner or later turn against us."