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Russian drones attacked Kyiv’s Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2, damaging parts of the structure and leaving it closed to cars and metro trains. The Northern Bridge was attacked on October 3, injuring two people and prompting a partial traffic closure. Ukrainian experts cited in Meduza’s report say drones alone cannot destroy the bridges, but repeated attacks could make them unsafe and disrupt travel across the city.
Russian forces have attacked two of Kyiv’s bridges over the Dnipro River in recent days, damaging road and bridge infrastructure, injuring two people and disrupting traffic across the Ukrainian capital. The Southern Bridge remains closed to cars and metro trains after attacks on October 1 and 2, while the Northern Bridge is partially closed following a strike on October 3, according to Meduza’s report.
The October 1 and 2 drone attacks struck the Southern Bridge, damaging a support, a guardrail, the road surface and a concrete barrier along the metro tracks. The bridge remains closed to both road traffic and metro trains. The strikes have already contributed to severe traffic jams in Kyiv, Meduza reported.
The Northern Bridge came under attack on October 3. Two people were injured, and the strike damaged the road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines. The bridge is now partially closed to traffic. The report says Kyiv has nine bridges across the Dnipro, though it does not specify the status of each crossing.
Meduza cited Ukrainian experts who said drones alone could not destroy the bridges and that more powerful weapons would be required. They warned, however, that continued attacks could leave bridges unsafe, forcing traffic to stop even without their complete destruction. The report does not identify the experts or provide a technical assessment of the damage.
Kyiv’s Cross-River Routes Under Pressure
The damage affects major links between parts of a city divided by the Dnipro River. With the Southern Bridge closed to cars and metro trains and the Northern Bridge partly restricted, people and vehicles have fewer available routes across the river. Continued closures could add to congestion and transport disruption, particularly if inspections or further damage require additional restrictions.
The distinction between destroying a bridge and making it unsafe to use matters. As the experts cited by Meduza explain, drone strikes may not bring a bridge down, but repeated damage could still lead authorities to close it. The report describes traffic effects already occurring, while any broader or longer-term impact on Kyiv’s transport system remains uncertain.
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Strikes Amid Intensified Kyiv Attacks
The reported bridge attacks come amid a broader increase in Russian strikes on Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence had learned from intercepted communications that Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an order in September for commanders to disregard the rules of warfare during airstrikes on Ukraine. That account is Zelenskyy’s claim; Meduza’s report does not independently verify the alleged order or publish the intercepted communications.
The report also notes that The Guardian said Western diplomats were preparing contingency plans to relocate their embassies from Kyiv as attacks intensified. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it knew nothing about such plans. Russia again called on Western diplomats to leave the city, according to Meduza. The report says an embassy evacuation would be a propaganda victory for Moscow, but does not say that any embassy has relocated.
“Drones alone cannot destroy the bridges; more powerful weapons would be needed.”
— Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza
Damage Assessments and Closures
The full structural condition of the Southern and Northern bridges has not been detailed in the report. It does not say whether engineers have completed safety inspections, how long the Southern Bridge will remain closed, or when the Northern Bridge might reopen fully. The extent of damage to the metro infrastructure and the effect on services beyond the stated closure are also unclear.
It is also not clear whether further strikes are expected or whether other Dnipro crossings have been targeted. The experts’ assessment that drones alone cannot destroy the bridges does not rule out damage serious enough to require prolonged closures. Zelenskyy’s account of an alleged Russian order and the reported embassy contingency plans remain attributed claims, not independently confirmed developments in the source material.
Inspections and Traffic Updates
The next practical developments are likely to be updates on bridge safety inspections, access restrictions and the restoration of road, metro and trolleybus services. The report does not give a reopening timetable for either crossing, so the status of both bridges may change as assessments continue.
Further reporting will also be needed to establish whether additional bridges are affected, how long the traffic disruption lasts and whether any Western embassies act on the reported contingency plans. For now, the confirmed picture is that two crossings have been attacked, one remains closed to cars and metro trains, and the other is partially closed.
Key Questions
Which Kyiv bridges were attacked?
Russian forces attacked the Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2 and the Northern Bridge on October 3, according to Meduza.
What damage was reported?
The Southern Bridge sustained damage to a support, guardrail, road surface and concrete barrier along metro tracks. The Northern Bridge’s road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines were damaged. Two people were injured in the Northern Bridge attack.
Are the bridges open?
The Southern Bridge is closed to cars and metro trains. The Northern Bridge is partially closed to traffic. The report provides no reopening dates.
Could 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 strikes could still make crossings unsafe and force traffic closures.
Are Western embassies leaving Kyiv?
The Guardian reported that Western diplomats were preparing contingency plans to relocate embassies, but Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it knew nothing about those plans. The source material does not confirm that any embassy has moved.
Source: rss
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