Russia summons German ambassador over support for Ukraine

Russia summoned Germany’s ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, on Monday to protest Berlin’s support for Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry said. The ministry said Lambsdorff was told that Germany’s growing support for Kyiv, including military and military-technical agreements, was unacceptable. It also objected to what it described as direct arms deliveries and the organisation of joint ventures, saying these were intended to create means for attacks on civilian targets in Russia. The summons came as Ukraine has increased retaliatory strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The report said Ukraine has hit Russian energy sites as far as the Urals and Siberia, causing fuel shortages in Russia, which it described as the world’s third-biggest oil producer. Local media reports and officials said more than 90 percent of Russian regions have had fuel shortages since June, with some places introducing petrol-station rationing and bans on filling jerry cans. Ukraine says its attacks on Russian oil and gas infrastructure are retaliation for Russian attacks on civilians. The report said Kyiv appears to have improved the capacity and precision of its drone strikes this year, hitting refineries including in Siberia’s Omsk region. Earlier on Monday, Germany summoned Russia’s ambassador over alleged cyber attacks, while the European Union and Britain announced sanctions over them. Germany has been one of Ukraine’s main backers during Moscow’s offensive.