A Russian airstrike damaged a major bridge over the Dnipro River in Kyiv on Saturday, disrupting traffic between the eastern and western parts of the Ukrainian capital as Moscow intensified attacks on the city’s critical infrastructure.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Northern Bridge, also known as the Pivnichnyi Bridge, was damaged during the morning attack. The road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines were hit, prompting emergency crews to deploy to the site and authorities to suspend traffic from the eastern bank toward central Kyiv. No casualties were reported from the bridge strike.
The attack came a day after repeated Russian drone strikes damaged Kyiv’s Southern Bridge, another key crossing over the Dnipro. The recent attacks have disrupted road, metro and other public transport links across the river, raising concerns about the impact on daily life in a city of about 3 million people.
The Northern Bridge was the second major bridge in Kyiv to come under attack within two days, according to Reuters. The Kyiv Independent reported that both bridges are important traffic arteries used by tens of thousands of residents each day. An aviation expert cited by the outlet said destroying such a bridge outright would be difficult, suggesting the strikes could instead be aimed at disrupting traffic, logistics and public confidence.
Russia has said its strikes are directed at military and logistical infrastructure. On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would continue what it described as targeted strikes on military facilities in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, while warning foreign nationals and diplomatic personnel to leave Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of broadening its targeting of infrastructure, saying Russian attacks are increasingly hitting roads, schools, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure. He told Reuters that Ukraine would respond by increasing strikes on Russian oil refineries as Kyiv seeks to pressure Moscow over its intensified air campaign.
The latest attacks come as Ukraine prepares for another difficult winter and seeks additional air-defense capabilities to counter Russia’s growing use of faster jet-powered drones. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Kyiv on Sunday and announced a €1 billion military aid package and €350 million for energy infrastructure repairs, while Berlin and Ukraine agreed to expand cooperation on interceptor-drone production.
The strikes on Kyiv’s bridges form part of a broader escalation in long-range attacks between Russia and Ukraine. Both sides deny intentionally targeting civilians, while Moscow and Kyiv continue to describe their attacks on the other side’s infrastructure as responses to the opposing side’s strikes.
