TL;DR
Get everyday essentials delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Russian drones struck Kyiv’s Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2 and the Northern Bridge on October 3, damaging infrastructure and injuring two people in the latter attack, according to Meduza. The Southern Bridge remains closed to cars and metro trains, while the Northern Bridge is partly closed; experts cited by Meduza say drones alone cannot destroy the bridges, but repeated attacks could make them unsafe.
Russian drones have struck two key bridges across the Dnipro River in Kyiv in attacks reported from October 1 to 3, damaging road and bridge infrastructure, disrupting transport and injuring two people, according to Meduza. The Southern Bridge is closed to cars and metro trains, while the Northern Bridge is partly closed to traffic.
Attacks on the Southern Bridge took place on October 1 and 2. Meduza reported damage to a bridge support, guardrail, road surface and concrete barrier beside the metro tracks. The bridge remains closed to cars and metro trains. Its closure has already contributed to severe traffic jams in the Ukrainian capital, the report said.
The Northern Bridge came under attack on October 3. Two people were injured, and the road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines were damaged, according to Meduza. The bridge is partly closed to traffic. The report describes these as attacks on Kyiv’s bridges across the Dnipro that had not previously been targeted since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Meduza said Kyiv has nine bridges across the river. Ukrainian experts cited in the report said drones alone could not destroy the bridges and that more powerful weapons would be needed. They warned, however, that continued drone attacks could make crossings unsafe and force traffic to stop.
How Bridge Closures Could Disrupt Kyiv
The attacks put pressure on transport links that connect areas on either side of the Dnipro. Damage or restrictions at multiple crossings could make journeys longer, worsen congestion and complicate movement around the capital. The Southern Bridge closure has already caused serious traffic jams, according to Meduza.
The reported expert assessment draws a distinction between destroying a bridge and making it unusable. Drones may not be capable of bringing the structures down, but repeated strikes could damage surfaces or supporting infrastructure enough to prompt safety closures. The immediate risk described is disruption, not confirmed destruction of a crossing.
The strikes also come amid wider concern about intensified Russian attacks on Kyiv. Meduza reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian strikes had become more frequent and caused greater damage to civilian infrastructure. The bridge damage adds to the pressure on the city’s transport network, though the report does not establish that the strikes have cut off either side of Kyiv.
Products Worth Considering
Jackery Explorer 300 Portable Power Station, 292Wh
Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 Portable Power Station with Two 200W Solar Panels
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Speaker (2nd Gen), Portable Waterproof Speaker, Black
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Strikes Amid Wider Kyiv Attacks
The bridge attacks took place as Russia’s strikes on Kyiv were reportedly intensifying. Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered military commanders to disregard the rules of warfare during airstrikes on Ukraine. According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian intelligence learned of the order through intercepted communications and assessed that it was issued in September. That account is a statement by the Ukrainian president; the material provided does not independently verify the alleged order.
Meduza also reported that The Guardian said Western diplomats were preparing contingency plans to relocate their embassies from Kyiv. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it knew nothing about those plans. Russia again called on Western diplomats to leave the city, according to the report. Any embassy move would be a separate development from the bridge strikes; the report said an evacuation could serve Moscow’s propaganda aims, but did not report that embassies had relocated.
“He said Vladimir Putin had ordered Russian military commanders to disregard the rules of warfare when carrying out airstrikes on Ukraine.”
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as reported by Meduza
Damage, Safety and Further Attacks
The available report does not provide an official engineering assessment of either bridge, a detailed account of the damage to the Southern Bridge’s support, or an estimate for repairs and reopening. It is also unclear whether the restrictions will change, whether the Northern Bridge will face a full closure, or whether additional crossings will be targeted.
The report’s assessment that drones alone cannot destroy the bridges comes from Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza; it does not rule out damage severe enough to make a crossing unsafe. Zelenskyy’s account of an alleged order from Putin and the reported embassy contingency planning also remain attributed claims in the source material, rather than independently confirmed developments.
Monitoring Bridge Access and Repairs
The immediate issue is whether engineers can assess and repair the damaged areas and when authorities may permit traffic to resume on the Southern Bridge. The Northern Bridge’s partial closure may also change depending on inspections and further damage. No reopening timetable is included in the report.
Further updates would need to clarify bridge safety, transport restrictions and any additional strikes. The diplomatic picture also remains open: the report cites contingency planning attributed to The Guardian, alongside the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s statement that it knew nothing of the plans. It does not establish that Western embassies have moved or will move.
Key Questions
Which Kyiv bridges were attacked?
Meduza reported attacks on the Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2 and the Northern Bridge on October 3.
What damage was reported?
The Southern Bridge sustained damage to a support, guardrail, road surface and concrete barrier beside metro tracks. At the Northern Bridge, the road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines were damaged. Two people were injured in the Northern Bridge attack, according to Meduza.
Are the bridges open?
The Southern Bridge remains closed to cars and metro trains. The Northern Bridge is partly closed to traffic. The report gives no reopening schedule.
Could the drone attacks destroy the bridges?
Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza said drones alone could not destroy the bridges and that more powerful weapons would be needed. They warned that continued attacks could still make crossings unsafe and force closures.
Have Western embassies left Kyiv?
The report does not say that embassies have relocated. The Guardian reported contingency planning, while Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it knew nothing about those plans, according to Meduza.
Source: rss
