GERMANY PERSPECTIVE

Berlin, July 6, 2026. German media outlets tally a week of reciprocal escalation in Ukraine. Tagesschau reports that at least ten people died in recent Russian strikes: in Sumy, a glide bomb hit a busy downtown neighborhood, killing "a five-year-old child and his mother," according to regional governor Oleh Hryhorov, cited by the public broadcaster, which also records 27 injured. Kyiv observed Friday a day of mourning following Thursday's "deadliest attack of the year" on the capital, with at least 30 deaths; President Volodymyr Zelensky released images of destruction and urged allies to "increase pressure on Russia." Deutsche Welle details Ukraine's response: drones targeted Saturday a petroleum terminal in the Kirovsky district of Saint Petersburg, Vladimir Putin's birthplace. Governor Alexander Beglov cited a "large-scale" attack with no reported deaths; regional authorities claim 72 drones were intercepted, while one drone crashed near Peterhof Palace without damage. Zelensky confirmed targeting infrastructure that "generates revenue for Russia's war," as well as Kronstadt military base. Handelsblatt broadens the picture to Crimea: according to the newspaper, Ukraine struck sixteen power plants in 48 hours, causing outages and an exodus of Russian vacationers, while Moscow suspended fuel sales and declared a state of emergency on the peninsula. The daily views this as a sign the war "now reaches everyday Russian life." On the diplomatic front, Tagesschau reports a telephone call by Donald Trump with Putin and Zelensky on July 4, ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara where Chancellor Friedrich Merz is to participate. Zelensky called the exchange "very good," evoking a possible end to the conflict, though Moscow has not confirmed any breakthrough on the ground, where it claims the capture of Kostiantynivka.