DOMINANT ANGLE
Berlin sees the strikes on Kiev's bridges as a targeted escalation of the air war, where drone technology and the paralysis of the city dominate the narrative.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The North Bridge in Kiev was hit on Saturday, October 3, after the South Bridge was struck on Thursday and Friday; three of the six road bridges over the Dnieper were already out of service the day before (Tagesschau).
- 02
Kiev can intercept only about 60% of the new Russian jet drones, according to the FAZ.
- 03
Moscow again called on foreigners and diplomats to leave Kiev, citing a "mortal danger" (FAZ, direct).
ANALYSIS
Berlin, October 4, 2026. In the German press, the strike on the North Bridge of Kiev, on Saturday, October 3, is seen as part of a systematic campaign against the infrastructure of the Ukrainian capital. Tagesschau reports that Russia "beschießt erneut" a bridge in Kiev, a day after attacks that had rendered three of the six road bridges over the Dnieper totally or partially impassable. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the road and trolleybus lines were damaged and traffic was interrupted, with congestion for the third consecutive day. The public channel specifies that no injuries or fatalities have been reported, and that videos of the impact posted on social media have not been verified.
The FAZ, for its part, reports two injured and an attack drone hitting the North Bridge on Saturday morning. The daily recalls that Russia struck the South Bridge on Thursday and Friday, including its suspension cables, and that this structure, over a kilometer long and also carrying a metro line, has been closed since. It judges that Moscow can probably not destroy these massive structures, but is causing damage and lasting disruptions. Many residents live on the left bank and cross every day: local media spoke on Friday of a "collapse of traffic", and images showed pedestrians crossing the bridges on foot.
On the military front, the Russian Ministry of Defense claims, as quoted by Tagesschau, that the bridge facilitates "the movement of Ukrainian troops and the transport of military goods". The FAZ sees these shots as part of the "escalation of the Russian air war" of recent weeks and devotes an article to the new jet drones, which Kiev can only intercept about 60% of the time.
The FAZ live feed also relays the new warning from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which again urged foreigners and diplomats to leave Kiev, or else they would be exposed to "mortal danger". It also reports that Russian projectiles, including Banderol missiles, have fallen in Moldova, according to President Maia Sandu, which broadens the focus to the southern flank of Europe. The statements by Volodymyr Zelensky on Russian refineries and the oil aspect of US-Russian discussions are not addressed in the provided articles.
