Kyiv bridge hit again as Russian strikes intensify, injuring two

A Russian missile struck Kyiv's Northern Bridge on Sunday, injuring two people and forcing traffic to be suspended, according to the city's mayor. The strike damaged the road surface and trolleybus cables, adding to disruption on one of the Ukrainian capital's key crossings over the Dnipro River. It was the second time the bridge had been hit in as many days.

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The attack came amid a broader escalation in strikes on Kyiv's transport infrastructure. The Southern Bridge was hit five times in less than 24 hours on Friday, and officials have already restricted or suspended traffic on several of the city's road bridges. Russia's Defence Ministry said it carried out the latest attack and claimed the bridge was being used to support troop movements and military cargo deliveries.

The repeated strikes have heightened pressure on a city of about 3 million people as winter approaches. Bridges are vital links between the western and eastern parts of Kyiv, and damage to road and trolleybus infrastructure can quickly affect commuting, emergency access and public services. The latest strike also follows threats from both sides to intensify attacks, with Russia saying it would step up strikes on military facilities, defence industry sites and infrastructure in Kyiv.

The incident also has wider political significance because it comes as European support for Ukraine remains under discussion. The report says German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in Kyiv at the time of the latest strike and announced a new aid package worth more than 1.3 billion euros. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would increase attacks on Russian oil refineries, while Russia has said it will respond by intensifying strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.

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Kyiv has faced repeated attacks on schools, rail links, government buildings, churches and communications infrastructure since April, according to the report. The city was largely spared direct aerial strikes in the first years of the war, but the recent focus on bridges suggests a renewed effort to disrupt transport across the capital. The Northern Bridge and Southern Bridge have now become recurring targets in that campaign.

What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage to the Northern Bridge and how long repairs will take. It is also not yet clear whether traffic restrictions will be expanded or how quickly services can be restored. The next developments to watch are any further strikes on Kyiv's crossings, the pace of repairs and whether the exchange of threats leads to more attacks on infrastructure.

A major bridge in Kyiv has been struck again in a Russian drone attack, with the latest hit coming on Sunday morning as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in the city for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Pivnichnyi, or Northern, Bridge was hit shortly after Merz arrived, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, and two people were injured. The attack is part of four consecutive days of strikes on major bridges in the Ukrainian capital.

Klitschko said the latest strike damaged the roadway and also hit a heating main, causing a temporary lack of hot water in the north-eastern Desnyanskyi district. Video footage from the scene showed a drone crashing into the bridge before exploding, while images posted online showed damage to the traffic lane. The Pivdennyi, or Southern, Bridge was also hit multiple times earlier in the week, adding to disruption across the city.

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The repeated attacks have affected one of Kyiv's most important transport corridors across the Dnipro River. The bridges link the western and eastern parts of the capital, and many residents rely heavily on road crossings and metro lines to move around the city. Officials have already restricted or suspended traffic on several of the city's six road bridges over the river, causing temporary closures and traffic jams.

The timing gives the strikes wider significance because they came during Merz's surprise visit, which was intended to show European support as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Merz said Ukraine needed all support in the coming weeks, while Zelenskyy said people in Kyiv were suffering terrible nights and days from the relentless attacks. Germany is expected to announce further military aid and energy-sector support, underlining the importance of the visit beyond the immediate damage.

The attack also underlines the strain on Kyiv's critical infrastructure as the war continues. Bridges, heating systems and transport links are all vulnerable to drone strikes, and the damage to a heating main shows how quickly such attacks can affect daily life. Russia has said its drones hit bridges used to transfer Ukrainian troops and military cargo, while also warning foreign citizens and diplomats to leave Kyiv.

Kyiv has faced increasing attacks since April, with strikes hitting schools, petrol stations, government buildings, churches, rail links and communications infrastructure. The city was largely spared direct aerial strikes in the first years of the war, but repeated attacks in recent days suggest a renewed focus on infrastructure in the capital. Germany remains one of Ukraine's strongest European backers, and Merz's visit came with a message that Berlin would continue to stand by Kyiv.

What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage to the bridge and how long repairs will take. It is also not yet clear whether the latest strike will lead to further restrictions on traffic or services in the area. The immediate focus is on emergency repairs, the condition of the bridge and whether more attacks follow after the latest warning signs for the city.

A major bridge in Kyiv has been struck again in a Russian drone attack, with the latest hit coming on Sunday morning as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in the city for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Pivnichnyi, or Northern, Bridge was hit for a second day in a row, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, and two people were injured. The attack is part of four consecutive days of strikes on major bridges in the Ukrainian capital.

Klitschko said the latest strike damaged the roadway and also hit a heating main, causing a temporary lack of hot water in the north-eastern Desnyanskyi district. Video footage verified from the scene showed a drone crashing into the bridge before exploding, while images posted online showed a gaping hole in the traffic lane. The Pivdennyi, or Southern, Bridge was also hit multiple times earlier in the week, adding to disruption across the city.

The repeated attacks have affected one of Kyiv's most important transport corridors across the Dnipro River. The bridges link the western and eastern parts of the capital, and many of the city's estimated three million residents rely heavily on metro lines and road crossings to move around. Officials said repair teams were working on the damage and were considering temporary pontoon bridges, ferry services and even a tunnel under the river to keep the city connected.

The timing gives the strikes wider significance because they came during Merz's surprise visit, which was intended to show European support as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Russia's military said it would be intensifying strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions, and earlier said it had hit the two bridges used to transfer Ukrainian troops. The attacks also underline the pressure on civilian infrastructure, with transport, heating and public services all vulnerable to drone strikes.

Kyiv has faced increasing attacks since April, with strikes hitting schools, petrol stations, government buildings, churches, rail links and communications infrastructure. The city was largely spared direct aerial strikes in the first years of the war, but the repeated bridge attacks suggest a renewed focus on critical infrastructure in the capital. Germany remains one of Ukraine's strongest European backers, and Merz's visit came with a message that Berlin would continue to stand by Kyiv.

What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage to the Pivnichnyi Bridge and how long repairs will take. It is also not yet clear whether the latest strike will lead to further restrictions on traffic or services in the area. The immediate focus is on emergency repairs, the condition of the bridge and whether more attacks follow after the latest warning signs for the city.

A major bridge in Kyiv has been struck again in a Russian attack, this time on Sunday morning as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in the city for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Pivnichnyi, or Northern, Bridge was hit for a second day in a row, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Emergency services were sent to the scene after the strike, which damaged the roadway and added to disruption across the capital.

Klitschko said the latest attack also damaged a heating main, causing a temporary lack of hot water in the north-eastern Desnyanskyi district. He said there had been an impact on the road surface of the bridge and that emergency crews were heading there. The earlier strike on Saturday had already damaged the road surface and overhead trolleybus wires, and injured two people, according to the mayor.

The repeated attacks on the Pivnichnyi Bridge come after several days of strikes on Kyiv's crossings over the Dnipro River. The Pivdennyi, or Southern, Bridge was also hit multiple times in earlier attacks, and the city has faced growing pressure on its transport and utility networks. The bridges link the western and eastern parts of the capital, making them important for civilian movement, emergency access and logistics.

The timing of the strike gives it wider significance because it coincided with Merz's surprise visit, which was intended to show European support as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Merz said Ukraine was facing decisive weeks and pledged further assistance to strengthen air defences. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the talks with Zelensky would focus on strengthening Ukraine, its defence and resilience, and shared European security.

The attack also underlines the strain on Kyiv's critical infrastructure as the war continues. Bridges, heating systems and transport links are all vulnerable to drone strikes, and the damage to a heating main shows how quickly such attacks can affect daily life. Russia has said its drones hit bridges used to transfer Ukrainian troops and military cargo, while also warning foreign citizens and diplomats to leave Kyiv.

Kyiv has faced increasing attacks since April, with strikes hitting schools, petrol stations, government buildings, churches, rail links and communications infrastructure. The city was largely spared direct aerial strikes in the first years of the war, but repeated attacks in recent days suggest a renewed focus on infrastructure in the capital. Germany remains one of Ukraine's strongest European backers, and Merz's visit came with a message that Berlin would continue to stand by Kyiv.

What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage to the bridge and how long repairs will take. It is also not yet clear whether the latest strike will lead to further restrictions on traffic or services in the area. The immediate focus is on emergency repairs, the condition of the bridge and whether more attacks follow after the latest warning signs for the city.

A Russian strike hit Kyiv's North Bridge shortly after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in the Ukrainian capital on an unannounced visit. The bridge, one of the crossings linking central Kyiv with residential areas across the Dnipro River, was struck in the morning, according to the city's mayor. Emergency services were sent to the scene, and there was no immediate report of casualties.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said there had been an impact on the road surface of the Northern Bridge and that emergency crews were heading there. Reports from the city said the strike came around 20 minutes' drive from the railway station where Merz had arrived. Images and footage shared online appeared to show a missile hitting the cable bridge, followed by a fireball and smoke rising over the river.

The strike adds to a series of attacks on Kyiv's bridges in recent days. Earlier strikes hit the South Bridge on Friday and Saturday, and other attacks this week had shut three of the city's six road bridges over the Dnipro. Kyiv, which was largely spared direct aerial strikes in the first years of the war, has faced increasing attacks since April, with strikes hitting schools, petrol stations, government buildings, churches, rail links and communications infrastructure.

The timing gives the attack wider significance because it came as one of Ukraine's strongest European backers was in the city. Merz said he had travelled to Kyiv with the message that Ukraine could rely on support in the coming weeks, and he is expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky. The visit also included German defence manufacturers, underlining the mix of political, military and industrial support being discussed during the trip.

The attack on a major bridge in the capital also highlights the pressure on Ukraine's transport network and the risk to civilian movement across the Dnipro. Bridges in Kyiv are not only strategic infrastructure but also essential links for daily life, emergency access and logistics. Repeated strikes on these crossings suggest an effort to disrupt the city's connectivity as winter approaches and the war continues to intensify around the capital.

What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage to the North Bridge and whether the crossing will be closed or restricted. It is also not yet clear whether the strike caused any injuries or how long emergency repairs may take. The immediate focus is on the response in Kyiv, the condition of the bridge, and whether further attacks follow after the latest warning signs for the city.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit, in a show of support for Ukraine as Russia's war continues. He said Ukraine needs support in the coming weeks and told President Volodymyr Zelensky that Germany would continue to stand by the country. The visit took place in the Ukrainian capital, which has faced repeated long-range attacks in recent days.

Merz said he travelled to Kyiv because Ukraine needs all available support in the coming weeks. In a statement after his arrival, he said that if Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against others. Government sources said he was joined on the trip by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, and the statement also referred to cooperation between German and Ukrainian companies.

The visit came one day after Russia warned foreigners and diplomats to leave Kyiv, saying that "massive" new airstrikes would hit the city. The Russian foreign ministry said responsibility for any negative consequences would rest with those who ignored the warning. Kyiv has already been under heavy pressure from drone and missile attacks, and Ukrainian officials have been calling for more air defence munitions to help protect the capital and other cities.

The timing gives the trip wider significance because it comes during a period of heightened risk for the Ukrainian capital and its infrastructure. Kyiv's bridges, energy network and transport links have been repeatedly affected by strikes, and the city has become a symbol of both the military and diplomatic stakes of the war. Merz's visit also underlines Germany's role as one of Ukraine's largest supporters, with Berlin continuing to frame its assistance as both solidarity and a matter of its own security.

The statement from Merz also pointed to economic cooperation, suggesting that support for Ukraine is not limited to military aid. That matters because the war has increasingly affected energy, logistics and industrial capacity across the region, while Ukraine seeks to maintain international backing as the conflict enters another difficult phase. The presence of a senior German minister alongside the chancellor also indicates that Berlin is pairing political support with practical engagement.

What remains unclear is whether the visit will produce any new commitments or announcements beyond the public show of support. It is also not clear how Russia will respond after issuing its warning, or whether further strikes on Kyiv will follow. For now, the trip signals continued European backing for Ukraine at a moment when the capital is facing renewed threats from the air.

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