A Russian strike damaged Kyiv’s Northern Bridge on Saturday morning, disrupting a major transport route across the Ukrainian capital, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Klitschko said the attack damaged sections of the bridge’s road surface and overhead trolleybus wiring. Traffic traveling from Kyiv’s left bank toward the right bank was subsequently blocked while emergency crews responded to the damage.
The incident follows attacks on Kyiv’s Southern Bridge, which was targeted by Russian drones on Thursday and Friday. Damage to that crossing has already caused significant disruption, with road traffic and metro services affected.
The Northern and Southern bridges are important links between the eastern and western sides of Kyiv. Their targeting within days of each other has raised concerns in the Ukrainian capital about increasing pressure on transportation and other critical infrastructure.
Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed that the Northern Bridge had been targeted, claiming that it was being used to support military movements and logistics. The ministry also reported a strike on a logistics facility in Kyiv, although Klitschko did not refer to that location in his statement.
The attacks prompted Kyiv’s defence council to hold an emergency meeting on Friday. Klitschko subsequently described the situation in the city as extremely serious, pointing to damage and threats involving infrastructure, housing and logistics.Kyiv, a city of roughly three million people, relies heavily on its bridges and metro system for movement across the Dnipro River. Continued disruption to major crossings could therefore create wider transportation problems for residents.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of deliberately targeting essential civilian infrastructure, including bridges, communications networks, medical facilities and educational institutions. Moscow, meanwhile, has said its strikes are connected to Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The latest strikes add to continuing concerns over the security of Kyiv’s transport network and other critical facilities.
