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Russian drone strikes damaged major bridges in Kyiv for a fourth consecutive day on Sunday, injuring two people and deepening a transport crisis in the Ukrainian capital, as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived unannounced to reaffirm Berlin's backing of Ukraine.
The Pivnichnyi, or Northern, Bridge was struck on Sunday morning, a day after it was also hit, according to Ukrainian officials. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the roadway of the bridge was damaged and that two people were hurt in the attack. The Pivdennyi, or Southern, Bridge, had been hit several times earlier in the week, meaning both of the key river crossings singled out by Moscow have now been targeted repeatedly.
Video verified by the BBC showed vehicles traveling across the Northern Bridge when a drone slammed into the structure and exploded, producing a ball of fire. Thick black smoke rose above the span, and images circulating on social media showed a gaping hole torn into the middle of one traffic lane.
Russia's military signaled it intends to widen the pressure, saying it would intensify strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions. It claimed earlier to have hit the two bridges because they are used to move Ukrainian troops. Analysts have noted that hitting transport links is a classic attempt to strangle both civilian life and military logistics, though the choice of densely used civilian infrastructure tends to draw international condemnation.
The Dnipro River, which cuts a wide path through the capital, is spanned by eight bridges that connect Kyiv's western, or right, bank with its eastern, or left, bank. Roughly three million residents depend on the crossings, and around 500,000 vehicles use them every day. Metro lines and commuter trains carry a heavy share of the river traffic, particularly during the working week, which means damage to even part of the network can ripple quickly across the city.
Both stricken bridges remain standing, but the strikes have narrowed capacity and disrupted public transport, causing gridlock in parts of Kyiv at times. Kyiv resident Roman described the daily struggle bluntly to the BBC on Sunday, saying that getting from the left bank to the right bank and back had become "just hell."
Repair crews are already at work on the damaged sections. Officials say they are drawing up contingency plans that include temporary pontoon bridges, ferry services, and even the possibility of a tunnel under the river to keep the capital connected. Such measures would be expensive and slow to deliver, and engineers would have to weigh them against the risk of further strikes on fixed infrastructure.
Klitschko also reported that a separate Russian drone attack had damaged a heating main, which he said would leave the north-eastern Desnyanskyi district temporarily without hot water. The timing is sensitive, with winter approaching and Ukraine's energy system already under strain from repeated attacks in previous seasons.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday morning that Russian drones had struck a warehouse in the north-eastern Sumy region, killing one person. In the central city of Dnipro, six people were injured when a communications facility was hit, he added. The strikes illustrate how Moscow's campaign extends well beyond the capital.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 135 drones overnight, including 52 jet-powered models, and that 125 of the projectiles were shot down. The figures point to a continuing effort by Ukrainian air defenses to intercept a large volume of incoming fire, while also suggesting that some drones are getting through to their targets.
As emergency services worked at the strike sites, Merz met Zelensky in Kyiv and the two men laid wreaths for Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war. The visit was a show of solidarity against Russia's full-scale invasion, now well into its fourth year, and it underscored Germany's central role in supplying Ukraine with weapons, money, and humanitarian aid.
Merz, who became chancellor in May 2025, wrote on X that Ukraine was entering "decisive weeks," adding: "That is why I travelled to Kyiv today with the message: You can rely on us." He argued that Germany's own security depends on the outcome of the war and that Berlin is helping partly out of self-interest, saying that if Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against Germany and its allies.
Zelensky said a new aid package worth more than 1.3 billion euros, equivalent to about 1.1 billion pounds or 1.5 billion dollars, had been agreed with Germany. He said the package includes weapons that will help Ukraine immediately, as well as support for the energy sector ahead of winter, a sector that has been a frequent Russian target.
During the visit, air raid sirens sounded across Kyiv as Merz toured the main building of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences, which was badly damaged in a Russian drone strike earlier in the week. Two people were killed in that attack. The scene offered a stark backdrop to the talks and highlighted the risk that even a high-level diplomatic visit can be interrupted by incoming threats.
The German leader's trip also came as Ukraine presses Western allies for more military support, including additional air defense systems and long-range weapons. Securing those supplies remains a priority for Kyiv as it tries to protect cities, power plants, and transport links while Russian forces continue to probe for weaknesses along the front line. Zelensky said there would be "important agreements" between Ukraine and Germany, though he did not spell out further details.
Taken together, the past four days have shown how quickly drone strikes can disrupt a capital of three million people, turning commuting into an ordeal and forcing officials to improvise. The bridge attacks have not severed Kyiv's connections across the Dnipro, but they have narrowed options and raised the cost of keeping the city moving. With winter approaching and diplomacy intensifying, both the battlefield and the bargaining table appear set for a demanding stretch ahead.
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