The second day of the Ukraine visit ended earlier than planned: Foreign Minister Baerbock had to leave the city of Mykolaiv due to drone alarms. She had previously announced that she would increase humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had to end her visit to Mykolaiv, Ukraine early in the afternoon for security reasons. While visiting a water desalination plant co-financed by Germany in the port city, security personnel discovered a Russian reconnaissance drone. The minister’s armored vehicles and delegation left the place immediately.
Apparently the Russian reconnaissance drone followed the column for a while before turning away. The bodyguards then decided that the safest option was to keep the motorcade moving. As a rule, after reconnaissance drones are sighted, the Russians launch drone or missile attacks a short time later. Shortly after the tour was broken off, there was an air alarm in Mykolaiv.
The minister had to go to the shelter of her hotel late in the evening yesterday in Odessa after a rocket alarm. Baerbock has now ended her visit to Ukraine and is on her way back.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had to go to the hotel shelter because of a rocket alarm in Odessa, southern Ukraine.
Mykolaiv as a symbol of Putin’s destructiveness
In the port city of Mykolaiv, Russia attacked the local administration building with a rocket in March 2022. The nine-story building was torn in half, leaving 37 dead and many injured. The ruin has since become a symbol of Putin’s destructiveness, said Baerbock. But also a sign of Ukraine’s resilience.
At that time, the Russian military also destroyed the waterworks for the approximately 400,000 residents. The city was without drinking water for over a month. The supply is now guaranteed again – also with German help.
Construction aid will be increased
In this context, Baerbock announced that the development aid for Ukraine would be increased by a further 100 million euros to now one billion euros. Germany, said Baerbock, will host a reconstruction conference for Ukraine in Berlin in June. She is “a little proud” that Germany is one of the first countries to provide federal guarantees for the reconstruction of the port of Odessa, for example.
Mykolaiv was the second and last stop on the German Foreign Minister’s trip to Ukraine. Baerbock made a surprise trip to Odessa in southern Ukraine yesterday together with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba. The occasion was the second anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine.