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

German chancellor visits Kyiv amid air raid sirens, pledging strong support as Russian strikes disrupt the capital.Russia has struck a key bridge in Kyiv just as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in the Ukrainian capital to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.The unannounced visit, marked by the sound of air sirens and explosions, came on Sunday to underscore Germany’s support for the nation at a time when Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities are increasing.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Russia tries to freeze Ukraine as it suffers record casualties and retreatslist 2 of 3Ukraine calls for tighter sanctions as Russian attacks spark Kyiv gridlocklist 3 of 3Russia’s ‘new doctrine’ targets civilian sites in Ukraine, Zelenskyy saysend of listIn a written statement, Merz said he “travelled to Kyiv today because Ukraine needs all our support in the coming weeks”.“If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us,” he said.Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the memorial of fallen Ukrainian soldiers at Independence Square in Kyiv, October 4, 2026 [Dan Bashakov/AP Photo]Merz and Zelenskyy met at the National Academy of Sciences, which was struck by a Russian drone on September 28.Zelenskyy told Merz that Kyiv’s citizens are going through “terrible nights and days” due to the ongoing Russian attacks.Merz was accompanied by his economy minister, as well as executives from several large German companies, such as Siemens Energy and Diehl Defence.Ukraine and Germany are also expected to finalise a deal to produce drones and other weapons together that can travel more than 600 miles (965.6km) in an effort to strike deeper into Russia.Germany has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters. In April, the two countries signed a military pact worth more than $4bn. On Sunday, a $1.1bn military aid package is set to be announced, alongside $394m to repair damage to Ukraine’s energy sector.Merz’s visit comes a day after Russia warned foreign diplomats and nationals to leave the capital to avoid getting hurt.