Zelensky and German Chancellor Merz discuss Leipzig airfield incident in phone call, Zelensky announces new air-defense packages for September
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on September 2, 2026. They discussed an attack on an airfield in Leipzig, which Kyiv frames as a Russian escalation. Zelensky announced that Ukraine will receive new air-defense packages from Germany in September and said teams are finalising a bilateral drone cooperation agreement.
Key points
- Zelensky and Merz held a phone call on 2 September 2026.
- They discussed an attack on an airfield in Leipzig, which Zelensky called "another Russian escalation."
- Merz briefed Zelensky on the measures Germany has taken in response to the Leipzig incident.
- Zelensky announced that Ukraine will receive new German air-defense packages in September.
- German media t-online reported, citing government sources, that the September deliveries include additional Iris-T missiles and several thousand strike drones.
- Teams from Ukraine and Germany are finalising a bilateral drone agreement known as Drone Deal.
- Zelensky thanked Merz for German support and leadership in protecting Ukrainian lives, and said the leaders agreed to a personal meeting.
Why it matters
The call indicates continued and expanded German military support to Ukraine in air defense at a time of renewed Russian strikes, while tying that aid to a direct German security concern following the Leipzig incident. It also moved the Ukraine-Germany defense relationship beyond weapons transfers toward a bilateral drone agreement and signalled intensified high-level engagement with an agreed personal meeting.
What happened
On 2 September 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by phone with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Merz briefed Zelensky on the measures Germany has taken in response to the incident at a Leipzig airfield. Zelensky described the attack as "another Russian escalation" and said Ukraine is ready to help Germany with expertise or experience.
The leaders also advanced a bilateral drone cooperation agreement known as Drone Deal, with Ukrainian and German teams finalising its text. Zelensky said the cooperation will add capabilities for protecting both countries.
Zelensky announced that Ukraine will receive new air-defense packages from Germany in September. According to the German outlet t-online, citing government sources, those deliveries are to include additional Iris-T air-defense missiles and several thousand strike drones. Zelensky thanked Merz for German leadership and support for protecting Ukrainian lives, and said he and Merz had agreed to meet in person. German media also reported plans to expand intelligence cooperation between the two countries.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All reporting on this call comes from Ukrainian-language outlets drawing directly on Zelensky's own social-media account of the conversation. The coverage centres Zelensky's statements and his characterisation of the Leipzig incident as a Russian escalation, and emphasises his gratitude to Merz for Germany's support and leadership in protecting Ukrainian lives. The announcement of new air-defense packages is presented as the central outcome of the call.