A fresh wave of Russian drone attacks has struck one of Kyiv’s key river crossings for the second straight day, unfolding just as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in the Ukrainian capital for an unannounced solidarity visit. The Sunday morning strike on Pivnichnyi, or Northern, Bridge came 24 hours after an initial drone assault that damaged the bridge’s roadway and snarled local cross-city traffic.\n\nKyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that the latest attack inflicted additional damage beyond the bridge itself: a critical heating main serving the capital’s northeastern Desnyanskyi district was hit, leaving thousands of local residents without temporary hot water access. In an immediate update posted to his Telegram channel, Klitschko wrote, “Hitting the roadway on the North Bridge. Emergency services are on their way to the scene.” Unverified amateur footage circulating online captures the chaos of the strike: civilian cars are seen traveling across the span moments before a drone slams into the structure, triggering a massive fireball that sends thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky above the Dnipro River.\n\nThis latest attack is part of an intensifying four-day campaign by Moscow to target major critical infrastructure across Kyiv. Over the past week, two of the capital’s key Dnipro River bridges — Pivnichnyi and Pivdennyi, or Southern, Bridge — have been repeatedly hit by Russian drones. Prior to Thursday, neither span had been targeted since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Both bridges play a vital logistical role, connecting the western and eastern halves of the capital.\n\nThe first strike on Pivnichnyi Bridge on Saturday left two people injured and damaged both the road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines, Klitschko said. Just days earlier, Pivdennyi Bridge endured multiple direct drone hits that damaged its structural cables. The repeated assaults prompted Kyiv’s defense council to convene an emergency crisis meeting on Friday to coordinate response efforts.\n\nRussia has publicly defended the targeting of the two bridges, claiming they are used by Ukrainian forces to transfer troops and military supplies across the capital. The Kremlin has also issued a repeated warning urging all foreign citizens, including diplomatic staff, to evacuate Kyiv immediately. Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed the recent wave of infrastructure attacks as a retaliatory measure against Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities, a claim that ignores the fact that Moscow launched its own large-scale attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure first.\n\nWhile military analysts note that modern reinforced concrete bridges such as those crossing the Dnipro are unlikely to collapse from individual drone strikes, repeated consecutive attacks carry significant risks. Experts explain that even if the spans do not fully collapse, frequent assaults will force prolonged closures to repair damage and gradually weaken the bridges’ structural integrity over time, rendering them unusable for both civilian and military traffic.\n\nKlitschko has sounded the alarm over the growing pressure on Kyiv, warning the city is facing a “very dramatic situation” as Russian forces batter critical infrastructure, logistics hubs, residential housing and other key city facilities.\n\nCoinciding with the latest strike, Merz’s surprise trip to Kyiv brought a fresh show of German support for Ukraine. Arriving in the capital by train, the German chancellor met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and paid respects to fallen Ukrainian defenders at a city memorial. During his visit, Merz reaffirmed Berlin’s longstanding commitment to Kyiv and pledged new additional assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.\n\nIn a post on X outlining the purpose of his visit, Merz wrote: “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. That is why we are helping out of our own self-interest as well.”
Kyiv bridge hit in further Russian drone attack as German chancellor makes surprise visit
