Economic Minister Katherina Reiche stated that she believes the Russian leadership intended to intimidate the German government by carrying out drone attacks on Kyiv during her trip. She also highlighted significant progress made by Russia in drone technology.
Speaking in the “Ronzheimer” podcast, Reiche, who traveled with Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to Kyiv over the weekend, recounted experiencing attacks on Sunday in “great regularity.” She noted that targets were hit that were located “very, very close to the city center,” adding, “I am firmly convinced that the Russian leadership knew exactly where they had to strike to send a clear message.”
The minister speculated on the motivations behind the Russian assaults, citing attempts “to frighten, to deter. Perhaps to cause uncertainty, perhaps to prevent agreements from being signed or to assure people of solidarity.” She concluded that generating fear “is a popular tactic, especially for the Russian leadership.”
In addition to the attacks, Reiche addressed Russia’s technological capabilities, informing listeners that “Russia has managed to accelerate the drones-which were already fast-again using individual jet drives.” She warned that this poses a major threat to critical infrastructure. She noted that “Russia has made a technological leap. Drone technology is now much faster. Intercepting drones has become more complicated. This increases the vulnerability of power grids, gas networks, water supply facilities, and even train stations.”
