Kyiv bridge hit in further Russian drone attack as German chancellor makes surprise visit

A major bridge in Kyiv has been targeted by Russian strikes for the second day in a row, coinciding with a surprise visit from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's to the city.

The Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge was hit on Sunday morning, a day after it was first struck by drones in an attack that damaged the road surface and led to traffic disruption.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Sunday's strike had also damaged a heating main, adding that there would be a temporary lack of hot water in the north-eastern Desnyanskyi district as a result.

Major bridges have been targeted in Kyiv over the past four days as Moscow ramps up attacks on critical infrastructure in the capital.

Unverified video footage of Sunday's strike shows cars moving on the bridge as a drone crashes into it before exploding, creating a ball of fire. A cloud of black smoke can be seen rising above the bridge.

Klitschko reported the strike on Telegram, writing: "Hitting the roadway on the North Bridge. Emergency services are on their way to the scene."

As emergency services responded to the incident, Germany's Merz reaffirmed his country's support for Ukraine and pledged further assistance to bolster Ukrainian air defences.

He wrote on X: "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."

The first Russian strike on the Northern Bridge took place on Saturday, injuring two people and damaging the road surface and overhead trolleybus wires, Klitschko said.

Just days before, the Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge was hit multiple times by Russian drones.

The Pivdennyi and Pivnichnyi bridges across the Dnipro River link the western and eastern parts of the capital and had not been hit before Thursday.

Russia said its drones had hit the two bridges used to transfer Ukrainian troops and military cargo. It also repeated a warning for foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave Kyiv.

Earlier attacks on the Pivdennyi Bridge prompted Kyiv's defence council to hold a crisis meeting on Friday.

Klitschko warned that the city was now in a "very dramatic situation" as Moscow was battering its "critical infrastructure, logistics, housing" and other key facilities.

Experts say Russian drones are unlikely to bring down the bridges - but repeated attacks will force their closure and risk weakening their structure, making them unusable.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is acting in response to Ukraine's strikes on Russian energy facilities, despite the fact that it was Moscow that had first launched such attacks.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.