Kyiv’s Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River was hit by a Russian air attack on Saturday, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The strike marks a significant escalation in Moscow’s campaign against the Ukrainian capital’s infrastructure, coming just one day after the Southern Bridge was struck by multiple waves of drones.
Klitschko announced on Telegram that emergency services were dispatched to the scene. He reported that the attack damaged both the road surface and trolleybus wires on the bridge, resulting in a complete blockage of traffic between the city’s left and right banks.
The assault on the Northern Bridge followed a drone alert issued earlier in the day. This event occurred 24 hours after city officials described the damage to the Southern Bridge as “tearing Kyiv apart.” On Friday, authorities closed the Southern Bridge—one of eight crossings connecting the two sides of the capital—and restricted movement on another structure. The attacks caused severe congestion, with long lines of stationary vehicles forcing some commuters to continue on foot.
Klitschko warned on Friday that the capital must now operate on a war footing. He noted that the cable-stayed Southern Bridge had already suffered multiple hits since Thursday.
The targeting of major river crossings is unusual for Kyiv, which has largely been spared the devastation seen in eastern Ukraine where the grinding conflict has focused on ground fighting since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The latest strikes follow a broader pattern of attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure that recently led to widespread power cuts.
Striking river crossings seems like a tactic to paralyze the city entirely. Scary escalation.
Does this mean all eight crossings are now at risk? The congestion must be unbearable.
Two bridges gone in two days? This is exactly what Klitschko meant by operating on a war footing.
I’m shocked the Northern Bridge was hit so soon after the Southern one. How are commuters even managing?
This feels like a new phase. Kyiv’s infrastructure is taking a direct hit now.