Ukraine: Germany's Pistorius pledges military aid in Kyiv

German defense minister Boris Pistorius has said that US cuts in support for Ukraine could be manageble under certain circumstances. 

The cuts to US aid for Ukraine in the 2026 budget, announced by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth two days ago, "would be a blow," Pistorius said. 

But just a few days ago, there was talk that the US would stop Ukraine aid altogether, he pointed out. 

"There is no longer any talk of that," Pistorius said in an interview Thursday evening with German public broadcaster ZDF. 

But, it has to be seen if the decreased support can be "compensated for by us Europeans," he said. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in Kyiv on Thursday, where the two discussed the joint production of long-range cruise missiles, drones and rockets,

"The image of war has changed," Pistorius said. "Starting with jets and tanks, which were the focus of attention, it then shifted to artillery for many years and remains so today."

Germany's defense chief said that modern conflicts increasingly revolve around electromagnetic warfare and drones.

"This alone makes clear what we can learn from each other. And that's why it's good for us to start producing together," he said.

"As far as production is concerned, we are talking about production in Ukraine, but also in Germany," Zelenskyy said. Discussions are taking place "about our long-range weapons, our drones, Ukrainian missile technologies, cruise missiles and other long-range capabilities," he added.

Under the plan, Germany would contribute the funds, while Ukraine would contribute its technical expertise. The first systems are expected to be combat-ready in the coming months.

During the visit, Pistorius also announced total German military aid worth €9 billion ($10.4 billion) for 2025.

He emphasized that his visit underscored the commitment of Germany's new government to support Ukraine. But he also said Germany is not considering sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, despite repeated requests from Kyiv.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) said in its latest intelligence briefing that Russia has "likely sustained approximately 1,000,000 casualties (killed and wounded) since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022."

In a post on X, the MOD said that of that number it was likely that 250,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or were missing and were presumed dead in what it said was Russia's largest losses in a conflict since World War II.

The MOD said that in 2025 alone, Russia had likely sustained casualties of over 200,000 and cited Ukraine's General Staff reporting a daily average of 1,250 Russian casualties.

According to the MOD intelligence briefing, Russian forces were expected to "continue to attempt to stretch Ukrainian forces by using mass to overwhelm defensive positions and achieve tactical gains."

This would remain the case "so long as this does not negatively affect public or elite support for the war, and those losses can be replaced."

DW Correspondent Matthew Moore has been following German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' visit to Kyiv from Berlin and said the defense minister's message was one of staunch support for Ukraine.

"He condemned that attack and said it showed that while these efforts to reach a ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine had intensified, that really Russia was signaling that it was not really intent, that it was not serious about reaching a peaceful solution to this war," Moore said.

"I think the message of this visit really is that Ukraine has a staunch ally in Germany and that Russia's recent demands, these territorial concessions, that Ukraine not be part of NATO in the future, these are simply unacceptable for Germany," Moore said and added: "And so the message is that Germany is by Ukraine's side."

Regional authorities in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv reported civilian injuries and damage to property following an overnight Russian drone attack.

Regional military governor Oleh Syniehubov said that Russia had targeted the entire Kharkiv region with dozens of drones and glide bombs.

Syniehubov said that in Kharkiv, 15 people were injured including four children.

"Civil infrastructure was damaged and destroyed," Syniehubov said. In Kharkiv, 11 residential blocks, numerous cars and two schools were damaged, he said.

The Kharkiv region, which lies on the border with Russia, has repeatedly been targeted by Russian attacks, resulting in casualties and widespread damage.

Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces reported striking an electronics factory in Russia's Moscow region overnight.

The military said "explosions were recorded" at the Rezonit factory that manufactures products used in high-tech weaponry.

Despite Russia launching near-daily drone and missile bombardments, Ukraine has managed to turn the tables on occasion.

The drone attack on Russian air bases earlier this month illustrated Ukraine's capability to strike deep inside Russian territory using unconventional means.

DW Correspondent Mariel Müller is monitoring developments from Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine which has been among the cities targeted by Russia's continued aerial bombardment.

"Boris Pistorius said that he wants to talk with Ukrainian leaders about the ongoing situation in the country and also talk about additional military aid," Müller said, pointing to the recent intensified Russian attacks.

On the question of whether there was a change of mood in Ukraine considering the current status of peace negotiations, Müller said: "The public mood in Ukraine hasn't significantly changed, according to a poll that was conducted last month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 60% of Ukrainians say that they are ready to endure this war as long as it takes."

Müller spoke of the resilience of locals who — after enduring "a night full of explosions and drones and missile attacks" — were out at cafes the next morning.

"But on the other hand of course you also have voices like the military's ombudsperson who says that soldiers are exhausted, they are tired, they want to go back to their families. Their children are growing up without them," Müller said, emphasizing how tough the situation was for Ukrainians.

US State Secretary Marco Rubio has spoken of the desire for more dialogue seeking an end to the war in Ukraine.

Rubio said he wanted to "reaffirm the United States' desire for constructive engagement with the Russian Federation to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine."

The US' top diplomat made the comments to mark Russia Day — in remembrance of the 1990 declaration of sovereignty that came over a year before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

"It is our hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relations between our countries," Rubio added.

"The United States remains committed to supporting then Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future," Rubio said.

While no peace agreement has been reached between Russia and Ukraine there have been exchanges of prisoners of war and the repatriation of dead soldiers.

Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has arrived in Kyiv to discuss continued military support for Ukraine as Russia's full-scale invasion continues.

German press agency DPA reported that the talks with Ukrainian officials would center around further military aid from Berlin under the new government.

"We are doing everything we can to support Ukraine so that it can defend itself and get into a position where Russia is prepared to enter into serious negotiations," Pistorius — the only minister from the previous coalition government to keep his role — said ahead of his departure.

Pistorius condemned Russia's aerial bombardment of Ukraine that has of late involved an ever-increasing amount of drones and missiles.

Pistorius said that it was an indication that Moscow had no interest in reaching a peaceful end and was instead continuing to use force.

The defense minister said his visit highlighted the commitment of Germany's new administration to continue support for Ukraine.

After the US, Germany is the largest military backer of Ukraine and recently removed range restrictions on weapons it was providing.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in May that this was so that Ukraine could defend itself from Russia's continued invasion and strike military targets inside Russian territory.

The German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has traveled to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian counterparts about continued military aid from Berlin.

And as Moscow marks Russia Day, US State Secretary Marco Rubio has reaffirmed calls for dialogue seeking an end to the fighting.

Stay with DW for real-time news, analysis, and analysis from our correspondents on the ground as we follow Russia's war in Ukraine.