Russian strike hits Kyiv's Northern Bridge as Germany's Merz visits capital

KYIV — Russia struck Kyiv’s Northern Bridge on Sunday, damaging the road surface and a hot-water supply in the area, just as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in the capital on a surprise visit.

Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly across the city as Merz met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the National Academy of Sciences, which was hit by a Russian drone days earlier. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the damage to the Northern Bridge — a key Dnipro crossing linking the city’s eastern and western banks — in a statement on Telegram. It is the second Kyiv bridge to be hit this weekend, after the South Bridge was struck on Friday and Saturday.

“I travelled to Kyiv today because Ukraine needs all our support in the coming weeks,” Merz said. “If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us.” Zelenskyy told him Kyiv’s citizens were going through “terrible nights and days” and called Russia’s forces “absolute barbarians”.

Merz was accompanied by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche and executives from Siemens Energy, Diehl Defence, Hensoldt and Quantum Systems. He was expected to announce around €1bn in military aid plus €350m for energy repairs, and to finalise a deal on joint German-Ukrainian drone production — including combat and interceptor drones to counter Russia’s jet-powered attack drones.

The strike came a day after Russia warned foreign diplomats and nationals to leave Kyiv ahead of what it called massive strikes.