Kyiv’s Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge was hit by Russian strikes on Sunday morning, marking the second consecutive day the span has been targeted. The bridge was first struck by drones on Saturday, and Sunday’s attack damaged a heating main, leaving residents of the north-eastern Desnyanskyi district without hot water.
The strike came as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise visit to Kyiv, where he pledged further assistance to bolster Ukrainian air defences. Merz posted 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 Sunday Strike on the Northern Bridge
Klitschko reported the Sunday strike on Telegram: “Hitting the roadway on the North Bridge. Emergency services are on their way to the scene.” The damage to the heating main affected the Desnyanskyi district, where residents lost hot water temporarily.
Unverified video footage shows a drone crashing into the bridge before exploding and causing a ball of fire with black smoke rising above it. The video is available on bbc.co.uk.
Sunday’s attack follows the first strike on Saturday, which injured two people and damaged the road surface and overhead trolleybus wires, according to Klitschko. The city’s mayor warned that Kyiv was in a “very dramatic situation” as Moscow battered its “critical infrastructure, logistics, housing” and other key facilities.
The Pivdennyi Bridge Hit Days Before
Just days earlier, the Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge was hit multiple times by Russian drones. The two bridges across the Dnipro River link the western and eastern parts of the capital, and neither had been struck before Thursday.
Earlier attacks on the Pivdennyi Bridge prompted Kyiv’s defence council to hold a crisis meeting on Friday. The repeated strikes have put pressure on Kyiv’s transport links, which depend heavily on both spans.
Russia’s Claim and Warning
Russia said its drones had hit both bridges because they were used to transfer Ukrainian troops and military cargo. It repeated a warning for foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave Kyiv.
Putin has said Russia is acting in response to Ukraine’s strikes on Russian energy facilities, despite Moscow being the first to launch such attacks.
Merz’s Visit and Germany’s Offer
Merz’s trip to Kyiv was unannounced, and his message was direct: Germany will help Ukraine defend its skies because the war’s outcome affects German security too.
The chancellor’s pledge comes as Ukraine faces a period of intense fighting. The weeks ahead are expected to determine the shape of the conflict for months to come.
The Damage So Far
The attacks have caused visible damage to the Pivnichnyi Bridge. The road surface on the span was damaged on Saturday, and the heating main was hit on Sunday.
Klitschko’s statement on Telegram confirmed the emergency services were responding to the scene. The mayor has been vocal about the threat to Kyiv’s infrastructure.
What Experts Say About the Bridges
Experts say Russian drones are unlikely to bring down the bridges, but repeated attacks could force their closure and weaken their structure, making them unusable over time. The cumulative effect of frequent strikes is the concern, not a single catastrophic failure.
The pattern of strikes raises questions about the strategy behind them. Are the drones targeting logistics, or are they meant to disrupt Kyiv’s daily life? The concerns experts raise focus on three specific risks:
- Repeated attacks forcing bridge closures
- Strikes weakening the bridges’ structural integrity over time
- The cumulative effect of frequent strikes, rather than a single catastrophic failure
| Bridge | First Hit | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pivdennyi | Thursday | Multiple strikes |
| Pivnichnyi | Saturday | Second strike |
The pattern of strikes raises questions about the strategy behind them. Are the drones targeting logistics, or are they meant to disrupt Kyiv’s daily life?
The War’s Toll on Kyiv
The strikes come as Kyiv braces for a long winter. The loss of hot water in the Desnyanskyi district adds to the strain on residents.
Klitschko’s warning about critical infrastructure reflects the broader pressure on the city. The bridges are central to Kyiv’s functioning, and their continued operation is now in doubt.
What Happens Next
The immediate question is whether the bridges will remain open. If they close, Kyiv will lose its main link between the western and eastern parts of the city.
Germany’s offer of assistance is significant. By framing the help as in Germany’s own interest, Merz has tied German security to Ukraine’s fate.
The attacks continue, and the response will follow.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Germany’s pledge of aid to Ukraine’s air defences and is against Russia’s strikes on Kyiv’s Pivnichnyi Bridge, which left residents without hot water. The video footage is unverified, and the attribution of injuries to the first strike rests on Klitschko’s statement.
The paper’s position is one of restraint in foreign affairs. It supports keeping the channels open for trade, diplomacy and compromise, and it is sceptical of foreign entanglements and of trade wars alike. In this case, the paper backs the German chancellor’s offer of assistance because it frames the help as in Germany’s own self-interest, tying German security to Ukraine’s fate.
The paper opposes the strikes on the bridge, which damaged a heating main and left residents of the Desnyanskyi district without hot water. The pattern of attacks on both bridges — the Pivdennyi Bridge was hit multiple times just days before — raises questions about the strategy behind them. Are the drones targeting logistics, or are they meant to disrupt Kyiv’s daily life? The cumulative effect of frequent strikes is the concern, not a single catastrophic failure.
See the video the story is built around at the BBC.
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