Russian forces struck major Kyiv bridges for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday, injuring two people when a drone hit the Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge. Video verified by the BBC shows a drone exploding on the bridge's roadway, creating a gaping hole in a traffic lane. The Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge was also hit multiple times earlier in the week. Russia's military said it would intensify strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions.
The two bridges remain standing, but damage and traffic restrictions have created severe gridlock. Kyiv's eight bridges across the Dnipro River serve an estimated 500,000 vehicles daily and connect the city's western and eastern halves. Kyiv resident Roman told the BBC on Sunday: "To get from the left bank to the right one and back, it's just hell." Officials are planning temporary pontoon bridges, ferry services and a tunnel under the river to maintain connectivity.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city was in a "very dramatic situation" as Russia targeted critical infrastructure, logistics and housing. A separate drone strike damaged a heating main, causing temporary loss of hot water in the northeastern Desnyanskyi district.
Ukraine's Air Force reported Russia launched 135 drones overnight, including 52 jet-powered ones. Ukrainian forces shot down 125 projectiles.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Sunday to demonstrate support during what he called "decisive weeks" for Ukraine. Merz and President Volodymyr Zelensky laid wreaths at a memorial to fallen Ukrainian soldiers and visited the National Academy of Sciences building, damaged in an earlier Russian drone strike. Merz wrote on X that Germany's security depends on the war's outcome.
Zelensky announced a new aid package worth more than €1.3 billion from Germany, including weapons and energy sector support ahead of winter. Since becoming chancellor in May 2025, Merz has made Germany the single largest donor to Ukraine.
The Russian defence ministry said Sunday it would intensify strikes in response to Zelensky's earlier comments about ramping up Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.
EU ambassador Katarína Mathernová and German ambassador Boris Ruge both rejected Russian warnings for foreign citizens to leave Kyiv, with Ruge responding to Mathernová's post: "Amen, we're staying."