What changed
Russian drone strikes hit Kyiv’s Pivnichnyi Bridge for a second consecutive day, after earlier attacks on the Pivdennyi Bridge. Two people were injured, traffic and public transport were disrupted, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelensky, announcing an aid package worth more than €1.3bn.
Why it matters
Kyiv’s bridges are not just pieces of concrete. They are the city’s main links across the Dnipro River. Eight bridges serve a capital of roughly three million people, with about 500,000 vehicles crossing them daily.
Both damaged bridges remain standing, but that has not prevented serious disruption. A hole in a traffic lane, restrictions around the crossings and damage elsewhere in the city have already produced gridlock. One separate strike damaged a heating main, leaving parts of the Desnyanskyi district temporarily without hot water.
Officials are considering temporary pontoon bridges, ferry services and even a tunnel to keep the two sides connected. That tells you how quickly a military strike can become a civilian infrastructure problem: the immediate damage is local, but the daily workaround may involve rebuilding the city’s transport system around it.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 135 drones overnight, including 52 jet-powered drones, and that 125 were shot down. The strikes also injured people in Dnipro and killed one person in Sumy, according to Zelensky.
Merz’s visit put political support beside the physical damage. Germany’s package is intended to provide weapons and help Ukraine’s energy sector ahead of winter, but its full composition and delivery schedule were not specified. The practical test now is whether Kyiv can keep people, heat and essential services moving while the attacks continue.
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