A major bridge in Kyiv was struck by Russian drones for the second day in a row on Sunday, coinciding with a surprise visit from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as Moscow intensified strikes on the Ukrainian capital's infrastructure.
The Pivnichnyi, or Northern, Bridge was hit Sunday morning, a day after it was first struck in an attack that damaged the road surface and disrupted traffic, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a report on the strikes. Sunday's attack also damaged a heating main, Klitschko said, leaving the northeastern Desnyanskyi district without hot water. Unverified video of the strike showed a drone crashing into the bridge as cars crossed it, setting off a fireball and a plume of black smoke.
"Hitting the roadway on the North Bridge. Emergency services are on their way to the scene," Klitschko wrote on Telegram. Major bridges across the capital have come under repeated attack over the past four days as Russia has ramped up strikes on critical infrastructure in Kyiv; the Pivdennyi, or Southern, Bridge was hit multiple times earlier in the week.
"Decisive Weeks"
Merz arrived in Kyiv by train as the attacks unfolded, reaffirming Germany's support for Ukraine and pledging further help to bolster the country's air defenses. He later joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a memorial to fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
"Ukraine is facing decisive weeks. That is why I travelled to Kyiv today with the message: You can rely on us. Germany's security also depends on the outcome of this war."
Friedrich Merz, German Chancellor
Germany's government, whose chancellery coordinates the country's military aid to Kyiv through the federal government in Berlin, has been among Ukraine's largest European backers since Russia's 2022 invasion. Klitschko has described the city as being in a "very dramatic situation" as Russian strikes batter its bridges, power grid, housing and other infrastructure. Experts say the drone strikes are unlikely to collapse the bridges outright, but repeated hits risk weakening their structures and could eventually force their closure.
Russia has said its drones targeted the two bridges because they are used to move Ukrainian troops and military cargo across the Dnipro River, and has renewed a warning for foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow's strikes are in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities, despite Russia having launched such strikes first.
