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Russian drones attacked Kyiv’s Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2 and the Northern Bridge on October 3, according to Meduza. The Southern Bridge is closed to cars and metro trains, while the Northern Bridge is partly closed; two people were injured in the latter attack. The damage has disrupted transport, but experts cited by Meduza say drones alone cannot destroy the bridges.
Russian forces have attacked two of Kyiv’s bridges across the Dnipro River in recent days, damaging road infrastructure and disrupting crossings through the Ukrainian capital, according to a report published by Meduza on October 4. The Southern Bridge is closed to cars and metro trains, while the Northern Bridge is partly closed after an attack that injured two people.
Meduza reported that drones struck the Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2, damaging a bridge support, a guardrail, the road surface and a concrete barrier beside the metro tracks. The bridge remains closed to both road traffic and metro trains. The outlet described the attacks as the first strikes on Kyiv’s bridges across the Dnipro since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Northern Bridge was attacked on October 3. Two people were injured, and the strike damaged the roadway and overhead power lines used by trolleybuses, Meduza reported. Traffic restrictions there are partial. The report did not specify when either bridge might reopen fully or provide an official assessment of the damage.
Kyiv has nine bridges across the Dnipro, according to Meduza. 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 repeated attacks could make a bridge unsafe for use and force authorities to halt traffic. The initial strikes on the Southern Bridge have already contributed to severe traffic jams in the city, the report said.
How Bridge Damage Could Disrupt Kyiv
The attacks threaten major transport links between parts of a city divided by the Dnipro River. Even without destroying a bridge, damage to its structure, road surface or transport systems can prompt closures while safety is assessed. Restrictions on the Southern Bridge have already affected both vehicles and metro services, while the Northern Bridge attack disrupted road and trolleybus infrastructure.
If further strikes force additional closures, travel within Kyiv could become slower and less predictable, with pressure shifting to other crossings. The report does not establish that all bridges are at risk or that a citywide transport shutdown is imminent. It describes a more immediate concern: repeated damage could make individual crossings unsafe and lead to further traffic disruption.
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A Wider Increase in Attacks on Kyiv
The bridge strikes came amid a period of more frequent Russian attacks on Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence had intercepted communications indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military commanders in September to disregard the rules of warfare during airstrikes on Ukraine. That allegation is attributed to Zelenskyy; the report does not independently verify the contents of the alleged order.
Meduza also reported that The Guardian had described Western diplomats preparing contingency plans to relocate their embassies from Kyiv as Russian attacks intensified. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it knew nothing about those plans, according to Meduza. Russia again called on Western diplomats to leave the city. Any embassy relocation remains distinct from the confirmed bridge damage, and the report does not say that embassies have moved.
“Zelenskyy said Putin had ordered Russian military commanders to disregard the rules of warfare when carrying out airstrikes on Ukraine.”
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as reported by Meduza
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Damage Assessments and Reopening Timelines
The report does not give a detailed engineering assessment of the Southern Bridge’s damaged support or say when its road and metro services might resume. It also provides no timetable for lifting restrictions on the Northern Bridge. Authorities have not, in the material cited, confirmed whether additional inspections or closures are planned.
It remains unclear whether the reported attacks mark a sustained campaign against Kyiv’s crossings or a short sequence of strikes. The report says experts believe drones alone cannot destroy the bridges, but continued attacks could make them unsafe. The alleged order described by Zelenskyy and the reported embassy contingency planning are separate claims and should not be treated as independently confirmed developments.
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Bridge Inspections and Transport Updates
The immediate issue is whether inspections find the Southern and Northern bridges safe to use and when authorities can restore suspended services. Until reopening information is issued, the Southern Bridge remains closed to cars and metro trains, and the Northern Bridge remains partly restricted, according to Meduza’s report.
Further official updates would clarify repair work, transport alternatives and any changes to crossing restrictions. The report provides no confirmed schedule for those steps. New attacks or additional damage could also alter access, while any decision by foreign embassies would need separate confirmation from diplomatic missions or Ukraine’s government.
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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.
Are the bridges open?
The Southern Bridge is reported closed to cars and metro trains. The Northern Bridge is partly closed to traffic. No reopening timetable was provided.
Were there casualties?
Two people were injured in the October 3 attack on the Northern Bridge, according to Meduza. Its report did not give further details about their condition.
Can drones destroy Kyiv’s bridges?
Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza said drones alone could not destroy the bridges and that more powerful weapons would be required. They warned that repeated drone attacks could still make crossings unsafe and force closures.
Have Western embassies left Kyiv?
No embassy relocation was confirmed in the report. The Guardian reported contingency planning, while Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it knew nothing about the plans, according to Meduza.
Source: rss
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