Germany’s Merz in Kyiv announces $1.5B in aid, urges Putin to end war

On October 3, Russian forces attacked Kyiv's Northern Bridge, damaging its road surface and trolleybus overhead wires, according to Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv. This came days after Russia struck the Southern Bridge multiple times with drones. The two bridges connect eastern and western parts of the city; this latest strike is part of Moscow’s increasing assaults on critical infrastructure in Ukraine's capital. Russian President Vladimir Putin claims these attacks are retaliatory for Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities, despite initiating such attacks first. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed readiness to engage in trilateral talks with the US and Russia by October end, aiming to resolve the ongoing 4½-year conflict.