Russian drones strike Kyiv bridge as German chancellor visits

Russian drones struck a major Kyiv bridge on Sunday, injuring two people and disrupting travel across the Ukrainian capital as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made an unannounced visit to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Pivnichnyi, or Northern, Bridge was hit for the second consecutive day, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. The Pivdennyi, or Southern, Bridge had been struck multiple times earlier in the week. Both bridges remain standing, but damage and traffic restrictions have caused gridlock in parts of the city.

Video verified by the BBC shows cars on the Northern Bridge as a drone crashes into it and explodes. Klitschko said its roadway was hit. He also said a separate drone strike damaged a heating main, temporarily cutting off hot water in the northeastern Desnyanskyi district.

Kyiv’s eight bridges cross the Dnipro River, linking the capital’s eastern and western sides. About 500,000 vehicles use them each day, according to the BBC. Repair crews are working on the damage, while officials are considering temporary pontoon bridges, ferries and a tunnel beneath the river to keep the city connected.

“To get from the left bank to the right one and back — it’s just hell,” Kyiv resident Roman told the BBC.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 135 drones overnight, including 52 jet-powered drones, and that it shot down 125 projectiles. Zelenskyy said a drone attack on a warehouse in the northeastern Sumy region killed one person, while a strike on a communications facility in the central city of Dnipro injured six.

Merz and Zelenskyy laid wreaths for Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war. They also met at the National Academy of Sciences, which was struck by a Russian drone on September 28, Al Jazeera reported. Zelenskyy told Merz that Kyiv residents were enduring “terrible nights and days.”

“Ukraine is facing decisive weeks,” Merz wrote on X. “You can rely on us.” In a separate statement reported by Al Jazeera, he said, “If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us.” Zelenskyy said Ukraine and Germany would reach “important agreements.”

Merz was accompanied by Germany’s economy minister and executives from companies including Siemens Energy and Diehl Defence, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that the two countries were expected to finalize an agreement to jointly produce drones and other weapons capable of traveling more than 600 miles (965.6 kilometers). It also reported that a $1.1 billion military aid package and $394 million for repairs to Ukraine’s energy sector were set to be announced.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it would intensify strikes across Ukraine after Zelenskyy said Kyiv would increase attacks on Russian oil refineries. Moscow has said the bridges were used to move Ukrainian troops.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave Kyiv. EU Ambassador Katarína Mathernová rejected the warning, writing on X: “The EU Delegation is staying. Threatening us will not stop Europe’s support for Ukraine.”