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Russian Drones Hit Kyiv's Southern Bridge
Confirmed
In Short: Russian drones struck Kyiv's Southern Bridge, causing traffic disruptions and suspending metro services.
Russian drones struck Kyiv's Southern Bridge on Thursday, marking the first such attack on the Ukrainian capital since the conflict began. According to Arabnews (Belize) and the BBC (United Kingdom), the twin strikes occurred on the Southern Bridge, a critical transport artery over the Dnipro River.
Arabnews (Belize) and the BBC (United Kingdom) reported that footage showed an explosion near one of the bridge's support sections, with thick smoke rising into the air as road traffic and metro trains crossed. The bridge was temporarily shut but later reopened, as seen by AFP reporters.
Sergiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia was now using drones designed to cut electricity pylons and steel bridge structures, according to Arabnews (Belize) and the BBC (United Kingdom). He warned that the enemy was planning to attack critical high-voltage power transmission lines.
The Kyiv Post reported that the attacks began with two drone impacts near a bridge support Thursday morning, prompting authorities to suspend traffic while engineers inspected the crossing. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the bridge support, barrier, road surface, and the protective concrete structure of the metro were damaged.
According to the Kyiv Post and DW (Germany), the Southern Bridge links Kyiv’s eastern and western banks across the Dnipro and carries both road traffic and the Green Line of the city’s metro. During the first attack, a metro train was actually crossing the bridge.
The BBC (United Kingdom) and Euromaidan Press (Ukraine) reported that all metro and automobile traffic was suspended across the bridge, causing major delays across the city. Restrictions were also in place on Kyiv's two other key bridges.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces struck the bridge several times with drones during the night, according to Euromaidan Press (Ukraine). He warned that Russia's goal was to destroy bridges and disrupt critical infrastructure.
Klitschko said on Friday that the metro can resume crossing the bridge during yellow-level air alerts after experts provide an assessment confirming its condition. The Southern Bridge has been hit twice over the two days by Russian drone attacks.
Videos showed a large explosion on the Northern Bridge across the Dnipro River on Saturday morning, according to EA WorldView. This marks the third straight day of Russian attacks on Kyiv's bridges.
Both Arabnews (Belize) and the BBC (United Kingdom) reported that the Southern Bridge was temporarily shut but later reopened, while the Kyiv Post and DW (Germany) provided more detailed accounts of the damage and disruptions.
The accounts agree that Russian drones struck the Southern Bridge, causing traffic disruptions and suspending metro services, and that the bridge was temporarily closed but later reopened.
What this adds
The attacks on the Southern Bridge mark a notable escalation against the capital’s transport infrastructure, disrupting metro and road traffic while raising questions over Moscow’s changing target priorities.
Background
Russian drones struck Kyiv's Southern Bridge, disrupting traffic and metro services.
Russian drones struck Kyiv's Southern Bridge, causing traffic disruptions and suspending metro services.
What's confirmed
- Russian drones on Thursday hit a major bridge in Kyiv for the first time since the start of the conflict with Ukraine, as Moscow stepped up its attacks on key infrastructure ahead of winter.
- Footage shared on Telegram showed an explosion near one of the bridge's support sections and thick smoke rising into the air as road traffic and metro trains crossed.
- Sergiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia was now using drones designed to cut electricity pylons and steel bridge structures.
- "I believe that the enemy is planning to attack critical high-voltage power transmission lines," he wrote on Telegram on Wednesday, a day before the bridge attack.
- The twin strikes happened on the Southern Bridge -- a transport artery connecting the east and west of the Ukrainian capital over the Dnipro river.
- The bridge was temporarily shut but later reopened, AFP reporters saw.
- No changes in radiation levels have been recorded.
- He was speaking after Kyiv's defence council held a crisis meeting, following new Russian strikes on a key bridge that caused traffic chaos.
- The mayor was speaking just hours after Kyiv's key Pivdennyi (Southern) bridge was hit in an overnight Russian drone attack.
- All metro and automobile traffic is now suspended across Kyiv's Pivdennyi bridge Intensified Russian drone and missile strikes are "tearing Kyiv apart", the mayor of Ukraine's capital has warned.
- The bridge is one of the main transport arteries across the Dnipro River dividing western and eastern parts of Kyiv.
- All metro and automobile traffic is now suspended across the bridge, causing major delays across the city.
What's still developing
- Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Sources
- 24Newshdlink
- DWlink
- EA WorldViewlink
- Euromaidan Presslink
- Kyiv Postlink
- Kyivindependentlink
- Latest news from Azerbaijanlink
- Malay Maillink
- Northeast Timeslink
- TVC Newslink
- The New Indian Expresslink
- Türkiye Todaylink
- UNITED24 Medialink
- centraljersey.comlink
- Kyivpostlink
- Newsukrainelink
- Kyiv Independent — video link