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Russian drones attacked Kyiv’s Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2 and the Northern Bridge on October 3, damaging infrastructure and injuring two people in the later attack, according to Meduza’s report. The Southern Bridge remains closed to cars and metro trains, while the Northern Bridge is partly closed. Ukrainian experts say drones alone cannot destroy the bridges, but continued attacks could make them unsafe and disrupt travel across the capital.
Russian forces have attacked two of Kyiv’s bridges across the Dnipro River in recent days, damaging key transport infrastructure and disrupting movement through the Ukrainian capital. Meduza reported that drones struck the Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2 and the Northern Bridge on October 3; the Southern Bridge remains closed to cars and metro trains, while the Northern Bridge is partially closed.
Attacks on October 1 and 2 damaged a support, guardrail, roadway and concrete barrier along the metro tracks on the Southern Bridge, according to Meduza. The bridge has been shut to cars and metro trains. The strikes have already contributed to severe traffic jams in Kyiv, the report said.
The Northern Bridge was attacked on October 3. Two people were injured, and the roadway and overhead trolleybus power lines were damaged, Meduza reported. The bridge is partially closed to traffic. The report did not specify the injured people’s identities or the extent of their injuries.
Kyiv has nine bridges across the Dnipro. Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza said drones alone could not destroy the bridges and that more powerful weapons would be needed. They warned, however, that repeated drone attacks could make structures unsafe and force closures, with serious consequences for transport around the city.
How Bridge Damage Could Disrupt Kyiv
The bridges carry road, public transport and other connections between parts of Kyiv divided by the Dnipro River. Closures can leave commuters and other travelers with fewer routes across the city. The effects are already apparent: Meduza reported severe traffic jams after the Southern Bridge strikes, as well as the loss of metro service across that bridge.
The distinction between destroying a bridge and making it unsafe to use matters. Experts cited in the report said drones alone could not destroy the structures, but they warned that continued damage could still require authorities to stop traffic. That could disrupt daily travel and place additional pressure on the capital’s remaining crossings and transport options.
The attacks also come amid wider concern about increased Russian strikes on Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian commanders had been ordered to disregard the rules of warfare during airstrikes; he said Ukrainian intelligence learned of the order from intercepted communications. That allegation is separate from the reported bridge damage and has not been independently established in the source material.
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Recent Strikes and Diplomatic Concerns
The bridge attacks mark a reported change in the targets of Russian strikes on the capital: Meduza said Kyiv’s bridges across the Dnipro had not previously come under attack during the invasion. The available report identifies damage to two crossings, but does not say that all nine bridges have been targeted.
Zelenskyy said the alleged order to disregard the rules of warfare was issued in September, when, in his account, Russian strikes on Kyiv became more frequent and caused greater damage to civilian infrastructure. His statement is an attributed claim, not independent confirmation of the order.
The Guardian reported that Western diplomats were preparing contingency plans to relocate their embassies from Kyiv as Russian attacks intensified. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it knew nothing about those plans, while Russia again called on Western diplomats to leave the city, according to Meduza. The report described a possible embassy evacuation as a propaganda gain for Moscow; it did not say that embassies had relocated.
“Drones alone cannot destroy the bridges; more powerful weapons would be needed.”
— Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza
Damage Assessments and Closures Still Developing
The report does not provide independent technical assessments of either bridge, a timetable for repairs or a schedule for reopening the Southern Bridge to vehicles and metro trains. It is also unclear whether the partial closure of the Northern Bridge will be extended or changed as inspections continue.
The report gives no details about the weapons used beyond describing the attacks as drone strikes, and it does not identify the specific drones or provide an assessment of further threats to the crossings. Experts’ warning that continued attacks could make bridges unsafe describes a risk, not confirmation that the structures are currently at risk of collapse.
Zelenskyy’s account of an alleged order to disregard the rules of warfare remains an attributed statement in the source material. Diplomatic relocation plans also remain unconfirmed: The Guardian reported contingency planning, while Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it was unaware of it.
Inspections and Transport Updates Ahead
The immediate issue is whether inspections find further damage that affects the safety of the Southern and Northern bridges, and how long current restrictions will remain. The source report provides no repair schedule or announced reopening date. Commuters and travelers will need to follow updates from Kyiv authorities and transport operators on access and service changes.
Further information may clarify the extent of the structural damage, the cause and precise circumstances of the attacks, and whether additional crossings are threatened. Any changes to reported diplomatic contingency plans would also need confirmation from the governments or missions involved.
Key Questions
Which Kyiv bridges were attacked?
Meduza reported drone attacks on the Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2 and on the Northern Bridge on October 3.
What damage was reported?
The Southern Bridge had damage to a support, guardrail, road surface and concrete barrier along the metro tracks. At the Northern Bridge, the road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines were damaged. Two people were injured in the October 3 attack, according to the report.
Are the bridges destroyed?
The source does not report that either bridge was destroyed. Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza said drones alone cannot destroy the bridges, while warning that continued attacks could make them unsafe to use.
Are the bridges open to traffic?
The Southern Bridge is closed to cars and metro trains, and the Northern Bridge is partially closed to traffic, according to Meduza. The report does not give reopening dates.
Have Western embassies left Kyiv?
No embassy relocation was confirmed in the source material. The Guardian reported contingency planning, but Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it knew nothing about the plans.
Source: rss
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