Overview
- A Russian drone hit Kyiv’s Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge on Sunday, damaging the roadway and injuring two people while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise visit to show support for President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Moscow’s Foreign Ministry warned foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Kyiv and the Russian Defense Ministry announced it would intensify strikes on military and related infrastructure in response to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian targets.
- Germany pledged roughly €1 billion in military aid plus €350 million for energy support and agreed on joint drone and anti‑jet production with Ukraine to help address immediate air‑defence gaps.
- Ukrainian leaders say Russia launched an unprecedented barrage this week — more than 1,900 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs and dozens of missiles — and Kyiv reports high interception tallies but growing shortages of advanced interceptors.
- The attacks have damaged bridges, power and communications sites, caused civilian casualties and raised European concern about possible winter power cuts and the wider diplomatic fallout to watch in the coming weeks.