The bridges were targeted because they were being used to move Ukrainian troops and military supplies
By Moses Okorie
A second major bridge in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has come under Russian drone attack, raising fresh concerns over the city’s transport network and the possible disruption of movement between its eastern and western districts.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said the Pivnichnyi, or Northern Bridge, was struck on Saturday morning, injuring two people and damaging the road surface and overhead trolleybus cables.
Klitschko said emergency teams were deployed to the area, while traffic across the bridge from the left bank to the right bank of the Dnipro River was suspended.
The attack followed several Russian drone strikes on the Pivdennyi, or Southern Bridge, earlier in the week.
The two bridges are key crossings over the Dnipro and provide important road and public transport links between different parts of the Ukrainian capital.
Russian officials said the bridges were targeted because they were being used to move Ukrainian troops and military supplies.
Moscow also renewed its warning to foreign nationals, including diplomats, urging them to leave Kyiv.
The attacks have disrupted road, rail and trolleybus services across the Dnipro, while restrictions on alternative routes have contributed to traffic congestion in the capital.
With about three million residents, Kyiv relies heavily on its transport infrastructure, particularly the metro, to move people between the two sides of the city.
Officials and experts are now concerned that repeated attacks could force prolonged closures of the bridges and potentially leave parts of the capital effectively isolated.
Military and infrastructure experts say Russian drones are unlikely to bring down the bridges on their own, but repeated strikes could damage their structures and force authorities to close them.
They also warn that more powerful weapons could cause severe structural damage, particularly to bridges already weakened by years of heavy traffic.
Kyiv’s authorities are reportedly considering contingency measures, including ferries and temporary pontoon bridges, in case existing crossings become unusable.
The Kyiv defence council held an emergency meeting following the earlier attacks on the Southern Bridge.
Klitschko described the situation in the capital as “very dramatic”, accusing Russia of targeting critical infrastructure, logistics and residential areas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow’s attacks are retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities.