The newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine, Boris Ruge, has paid his first official visit to Lviv. In the city, the diplomat met with Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and discussed the further development of Ukrainian-German cooperation.
The visit began with a tribute to the fallen Defenders of Ukraine at Lychakiv Cemetery. After this, the Ambassador arrived at Lviv City Hall, where he held talks with Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and his deputies.
The Mayor thanked the German people and government for their consistent support of Ukraine and Lviv, in particular for the assistance provided by the partner cities of Freiburg, Würzburg, Frankfurt am Main and Düsseldorf. They spoke about medical, social and economic projects being implemented with the involvement of these German cities.
Particular attention at the meeting was devoted to the UNBROKEN ecosystem of humanity, which in Lviv brings together treatment, rehabilitation, prosthetics, arts and sports programmes, as well as social housing for the wounded. Andriy Sadovyi also spoke about new infrastructure, educational and economic initiatives being implemented together with foreign partners.
Boris Ruge expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Lviv and its German partner cities. One of the topics of discussion was the possibility of establishing a German business office in Lviv to support companies and investors from Germany who are operating or planning to operate in Ukraine. City Council representatives recalled that Lviv already has similar cooperation structures with Japan (Japan Desk Lviv) and Norway (Norway Desk).
“This is my first visit to Lviv, and I very much support your ideas on partnership. Having a German representation in Lviv would be extremely valuable,” said Boris Ruge.
The parties also discussed educational and medical projects, the work of local self-government in wartime conditions, as well as Lviv’s cooperation with other Ukrainian and European cities.
As part of the visit programme, the Ambassador plans to visit the UNBROKEN centre to gain first-hand insight into the work of the rehabilitation complex, in particular its prosthetics and orthotics centre.
Boris Ruge has served as Germany’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine since August 2026. Before his appointment to Kyiv, he worked as NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, and was also Deputy Chairman of the Munich Security Conference.
Background on German support for UNBROKEN
In 2023, the German government allocated EUR 9 million for UNBROKEN projects. The funds were directed, in particular, towards the construction of a prosthetics workshop, the purchase of equipment and the training of prosthetists. A further EUR 3.5 million was earmarked for the construction and equipping of a modular diagnostic centre at St Luke’s Hospital, where equipment has been installed for MRI, ultrasound, X-ray diagnostics, endoscopy, ophthalmology, cardiology, as well as therapeutic and surgical diagnostics.
In 2024, with the support of the German government, a large UNBROKEN prosthetics and orthotics centre was opened in Lviv. The initiative was implemented under the “Special Support Programme for Ukraine / EU4ResilientRegions” project, which is carried out by GIZ Ukraine and financed by the German government.
Freiburg has been twinned with Lviv since 1990. It became one of the first partners in establishing the UNBROKEN rehabilitation unit, contributing EUR 500,000 towards the construction of one of the centre’s floors. In addition, Freiburg allocated EUR 100,000 for the renovation of Lyceum No. 5, which was damaged in a Russian attack in 2024, is funding the creation of an arts space for veterans and the wounded, “Unbroken Art Workshop”, and in August 2026 joined the UNBROKEN Cities Network.
Würzburg became a twin city of Lviv in 2023 and joined the UNBROKEN Cities Network in the same year. Together with the DAHW foundation, the city funded the construction of two additional floors at the UNBROKEN centre and the creation of a mental health centre at St Luke’s Hospital. Würzburg also allocated EUR 5,000 for the renovation of Lyceum No. 70.
Frankfurt am Main signed a cooperation agreement with Lviv in 2024 and joined the UNBROKEN Cities Network in 2025. The cities are implementing a joint project, “The Partnership Tram”, and are cooperating within Unbroken University.
Düsseldorf also joined the UNBROKEN Cities Network initiative in 2026, strengthening the network of German cities supporting rehabilitation and educational projects in Lviv.