Kyiv confirmed on Saturday that a Russian strike hit the city’s Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River, the latest in a series of attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure that have left the capital gridlocked.
The assault, which Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said came after a drone alert, followed the strike on the Southern Bridge during a broad wave of attacks that city officials described as “tearing Kyiv apart.”
The broader conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has mainly centered on ground fighting in eastern Ukraine, leaving Kyiv relatively less affected by the destruction near the front lines.
“Northern Bridge has been hit,” Klitschko posted on Telegram. “Emergency services are heading to the scene.”
In a later update, he said the strike damaged the bridge’s road surface and trolleybus wires.
“Traffic across the bridge from the left bank to the right bank is currently blocked,” Klitschko said.
The incident adds to a string of attacks on Dnipro River crossings that connect the capital’s eastern and western districts.
On Friday, authorities closed the Southern Bridge, one of Kyiv’s principal crossings, and restricted traffic on another after a wave of fast-moving jet-powered drone attacks caused severe congestion across the city.
Rows of stopped cars and buses crowded major roads as commuters sought alternate routes, while some were forced to continue traveling on foot.
The Southern Bridge is one of eight main crossings linking the two sides of Kyiv.
The cable-stayed structure had already been struck several times since Thursday, according to city officials.
Klitschko warned on Friday that the capital should now operate on a wartime footing.
