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.Published On 4 Oct 20264 Oct 2026Russia 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...