Kyiv found itself under a fresh wave of attacks on Saturday when Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported that a Russian drone struck the city’s North Bridge. He wrote on Telegram that emergency services were already en route, but traffic across the structure was immediately halted.
The incident follows a series of assaults on the Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge which had already been hit on Thursday and again on Friday night – the fourth strike in just two days. Witnesses on the affected metro cars described a blast wave that forced dust up the ventilation system, forcing a temporary suspension of train service.
Bridge attacks cripple Kyiv’s transport network
Both the North and Pivdennyi bridges serve as vital arteries linking the western and eastern banks of the Dnipro River. After the most recent drone impact, all automobile and metro traffic over the Southern bridge was suspended, creating massive congestion throughout the capital. Restrictions were also imposed on the two remaining major crossings, further straining the daily commute of roughly three million residents.
Residents who depend heavily on the metro system now face lengthy detours, and logistics firms report delays in delivering essential supplies. The city’s data centres have also suffered recent hits, leading to intermittent internet outages that compounds the chaos.
Political leaders trade accusations amid the violence
In a crisis meeting of Kyiv’s defence council, Klitschko described the situation as “very dramatic” and emphasized that Moscow was deliberately targeting “critical infrastructure, logistics, housing and other key facilities”. He warned that the assaults were intended to sow panic among the population.
Russian President Vladimir Putin countered that the strikes were a retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy sites, despite evidence that Moscow initiated the recent assaults. Putin later claimed that Ukraine’s raids had caused about a 1% loss to Russia’s GDP and justified the current offensive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by stating that Russia had abandoned any rules of engagement in early September, launching massive attacks on bridges, data centres, hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure to force mass displacement.
Human toll and the city’s resolve
The emergency services confirmed one civilian death after a multi-storey residential building was hit overnight. Yet, amid the destruction, Klitschko appealed to citizens, saying, “We’re talking about survival” and that Kyiv would prevail only through the joint effort of those who love and care for the city.
Despite the grim picture, the mayor’s message also carried a note of resilience: the capital’s leadership continues to coordinate rapid repairs, reroute traffic, and maintain essential services while urging residents to stay vigilant.
As the drone strikes persist, Kyiv’s ability to keep its bridges functional and its people safe remains a focal point of the broader conflict, illustrating how infrastructure can become both a strategic target and a symbol of national endurance.
