On Saturday, a Russian air strike hit the Northern Bridge across the Dnipro River in Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, and traffic from the east to the west bank was suspended after damage to the road surface and overhead trolleybus cables. No casualties were reported.
In the preceding two days, the Southern Bridge had been struck several times by Russian drones, forcing temporary traffic suspensions on that bridge and two other crossings. Nearly 90 percent of transit traffic between the river banks uses the Southern Bridge, and the latest attack coincided with the city’s evening rush hour, exacerbating traffic chaos.
The bridge attacks are part of a broader Russian campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure. Russian forces have targeted key industries, railways, data centres, energy facilities, schools, and hospitals, disrupting daily life and causing long traffic jams across the capital. Ukraine relies heavily on its F‑16 and MiG fighter aircraft to down drones, but supplies of 20‑mm ammunition are running low. Kyiv is boosting electronic jamming capabilities and expects to receive its first shipment of small air‑defence missiles in late October. President Zelensky said Ukraine is developing interceptor drones, with early tests showing a modest 30 percent success rate.
International reactions include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arriving in Kyiv to pledge support, warning that Russia’s war machine could turn against the West if not stopped. Latvia’s pro‑Ukraine prime minister Andris Kulbergs won a parliamentary election amid war‑related concerns. Zelensky urged the United States not to normalize ties with Russia before peace, citing a new Russian doctrine that expands attacks on civilian infrastructure. The European Union warned of the situation in the occupied town of Oleshky, describing it as “appalling.”
