Russia hits Kyiv bridge as Germany’s Merz visits Ukraine’s capital

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled to Kyiv on an unannounced visit as air raid sirens and explosions sounded across the city, meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reaffirm Germany’s support. The encounter took place at the National Academy of Sciences — a site that had been struck by a Russian drone on September 28 — and included a stop at a memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers. The visit coincided with renewed Russian strikes on the capital. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River was hit, damaging the roadway and disrupting hot water supply in the area. It was the second bridge in Kyiv struck during the weekend, and occurred a day after Russia warned foreign diplomats and nationals to leave the city to avoid harm. Merz said in a written statement that he came because Ukraine will need “all our support in the coming weeks” and warned that failure to stop Russia could ultimately threaten other countries. He was accompanied on the trip by Germany’s economy minister and executives from major firms including Siemens Energy and Diehl Defence. Officials said Germany and Ukraine are close to finalizing a deal to co-produce drones and other weapons with ranges exceeding 600 miles (about 966 km), intended to enable deeper strikes into Russian territory. Germany and Ukraine signed a military pact in April valued at more than $4 billion; on Sunday a $1.1 billion military aid package was due to be announced alongside $394 million to repair Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The visit took place in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a period that has seen both sides increase drone and missile attacks on infrastructure, logistics and military sites. Ukrainian officials described worsening conditions for civilians in Kyiv, and the exchange of strikes has intensified debate over targets and sanctions related to the conflict.