German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul signalled that broad sanctions would be imposed on Russia after the latest intensive attacks on Ukraine killed civilians, stressing that his country would continue supporting Ukraine’s defence. Wadephul’s escalation came after a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that produced no results.
Wadephul describes Russian attacks as brutal
In remarks made in Berlin to the German Press Agency, Wadephul said that “Putin’s brutality knows no bounds”. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin continued “his missile terror against the Ukrainian people and many children with ever-increasing ferocity”, but would nevertheless fail “in the face of Ukraine’s resistance and Germany’s continued support for its defence”.
The German minister said developments in recent days had shown, in his words, that the Russian president was relying entirely on escalation. He said dozens of civilians, including children, had been killed in the past three days alone, as attacks on Ukrainian areas continued.
Wadephul accused Russian forces of deliberately destroying residential buildings night after night, citing what happened in the city of Pryluky, and said people had been killed in their sleep. He described the approach as an attempt to wear down Ukraine, adding: “This attrition tactic is incredibly brutal”.
European Union strengthens Ukraine’s air defence
In the context of European support for Kyiv, Wadephul recalled that the European Union had allocated an additional €1.2 billion last Wednesday to support air defence in Ukraine, explaining that the funds were intended to save lives in the face of air and missile attacks.
The German foreign minister stressed that his country would “significantly increase pressure on Russia’s war economy and its supporters through new sanctions”. He said the final steps concerning the package were currently being agreed in Brussels, paving the way for what he described as the most comprehensive sanctions package so far to take effect soon. The new sanctions are expected to target individuals and companies linked to Russia.
Wadephul said implementing these measures “would also significantly affect Russia’s ability to attack Ukraine”, referring to efforts by Berlin and its European partners to restrict the resources available to Moscow and the financing of its military operations. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, had announced that preparations were under way to impose sanctions on an additional 1,600 individuals and companies linked to Russia’s military-industrial sector.
Heavy civilian losses in Pryluky
The plans are part of a European move to increase economic pressure on Moscow and those supporting its military sector. In the Ukrainian city of Pryluky alone, at least 19 people were killed and 55 others injured in recent Russian attacks, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy said five children were among those killed, while five other children were injured. The attack targeted a five-storey residential building in Pryluky, about 120 kilometres east of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Wadephul cited these civilian losses in reaffirming Germany’s continued support for Ukraine, alongside ongoing European efforts to approve the new sanctions package.
