German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock paid an unannounced visit to the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Jan. 10. Kharkiv has been one of the cities most affected by Russia's full-scale invasion.
Baerbock became the first German official to visit the city since Feb. 24.
"This city symbolizes the absolute madness of Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine. It is important for me that we do not lose sight of Ukraine's place in our European family, even in this winter of the war," Baerbock said during the visit alongside Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, just some 30 miles away from the Russian border, and the Oblast have become a prime target for attacks. According to the Alerts.in.ua service, which tracks air raid alerts in Ukraine, the Kharkiv Oblast had the highest number of warnings in 2022, with 1,558 total.
