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Moscow struck city’s North Bridge this morning, around 20-minutes drive away from the station where the German chancellor arrived

Good morning and welcome to our Europe live blog, I’m Frances Mao.

We begin in Kyiv where one of Ukraine’s strongest European backers, the German chancellor Friedrich Merz, has arrived this morning in an unannounced visit.

Soon after his arrival, the Russians struck the city’s North Bridge, just a 20-minutes drive from the central railway station where Merz had pulled into.

Sirens have rung out across the city and smoke can still be seen rising from the Dnieper River bridge. Yesterday, Russian drones also struck another bridge, causing injuries; the Kremlin has stepped up attacks on the capital this year and Ukrainians say they are steeling for another autumn blitz ahead of a tough winter.

“Ukraine is facing decisive weeks. That is why I travelled to Kyiv today with the message: you can rely on us,” Merz has written on X. He’s brought several German defence manufacturers with him and is expected to meet with Zelenskyy.

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