Germany summons Russian ambassador, citing ‘direct threats’

Berlin calls undefined threats ‘an attempt to undermine support for Ukraine and test our unity’.Berlin has summoned the Russian ambassador to condemn what it calls “direct threats” against “targets in Germany”.The threats, which were not detailed, are aimed at undermining Germany’s support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, Berlin’s Federal Foreign Office said in a statement on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Sent to be killed’: How Russia forces migrants to fight in Ukrainelist 2 of 3Can Hungary wean itself off Russian energy, as its new leader has promised?list 3 of 3Russia suffers ‘record’ soldier casualties as Ukraine ups drone productionend of list“Our response is clear: we will not be intimidated. Such threats and all forms of espionage in Germany are completely unacceptable,” the foreign ministry said in a social media post.The Russian embassy provided no comment.Last week, Russia’s Ministry of Defence published a list of 21 companies that Moscow believes are subsidiaries of Ukrainian defence companies or suppliers of key components.At least three German firms were among those listed as supplying drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to Ukraine. The post included a vague suggestion that those locations could be targeted.“The European public should not only clearly understand the underlying causes of the threats to their safety, but also know the addresses, as well as the location of ‘Ukrainian’ and ‘joint’ companies producing UAVs and their components for Ukraine in their countries,” the Russian ministry wrote on Wednesday.Strategic defence partnershipUkraine and Germany recently agreed on a strategic defence partnership that will include cooperation in drone production and a boost for Kyiv’s air defences.In a joint declaration, the two countries said they will “strengthen cooperation in the air defence field”. Germany will “continue supporting Ukraine’s drone industry as well as establishing drone co-production ventures”, it added.