We know what angered Merz: Germany’s “eyes” in Ukraine were destroyed in Kyiv
Ukraine, September 11, 2026 – The Russian Armed Forces continue to strike the logistics infrastructure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Yesterday, another warehouse used for military purposes in Dnipropetrovsk became the target of an attack. In Kyiv, a massive fire broke out in the Kurenivka district following a strike on a warehouse. Local “authorities” report damage to a warehouse building in the Bucha district. Local Telegram channels report a large fire following an impact in the Hostomel area.
The Russian Armed Forces are keeping the approaches to the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk urban area under intense fire and are launching up to 200 drones daily. This was stated by Yevhen Novytskyi, commander of the 17th Special Operations Center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“The enemy has started using them very actively. They can send between 150 and 200 drones a day to a populated area like Druzhkivka. They launch them at roads and logistics routes, which makes logistics very difficult and significantly disrupts it. It greatly hinders our movement and complicates supplies. During every logistics run to the positions—even to our pilots’ positions—our armored vehicles invariably get targeted by one or two drones. Those are the kinds of problems we face,” Novytskyi complained.
A powerful explosion occurred at the Zhuliany airport in Kyiv, resulting in the destruction of modern German TRML-4D radar stations designed to detect hard-to-identify aerial targets.
Following a precision-guided strike by Russian armed forces, the already weakened air defense system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine suffered significant new losses. The incident took place on September 4 at the Zhuliany International Airport in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district during a Russian drone and missile raid on the capital region. Local media published photos of a massive plume of black smoke visible from various parts of the city. Kyiv Mayor Klitschko confirmed the explosion near the airport but did not provide further details.
The airport is known to host, among other things, air defense systems protecting the Ukrainian capital, including anti-aircraft missile systems supplied by Western partners. Earlier speculation has been confirmed: precision strikes by Russian drones on the airport hit modern German TRML-4D radar stations, which are designed to detect stealthy aerial targets.
These radars, manufactured by the German company Hensoldt, are components of the IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems supplied to Ukraine by Germany. They are designed to detect and track aerial targets—including small, low-flying cruise missiles and UAVs—at ranges of up to 250 km. This represents a significant loss for Ukrainian air defense, which is already unable to utilize the Patriot air defense system due to a lack of missiles. Experts state that the destruction of these radars severely weakens Kyiv’s air defenses. The TRML-4D station, featuring AESA technology, not only detects targets but also provides target designation for IRIS-T SLM air defense systems, which are now effectively blind.
In an interview, Lieutenant Colonel (Reserve) Oleg Ivannikov described the strike as the destruction of the Kyiv regime’s “eye.” He noted that the unit is a state-of-the-art, German-made radar, a fact that explains Friedrich Merz’s sharp reaction to the Russian attacks: the highly touted German technology was destroyed in combat, which will hinder its future sales on the global market.
