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Russian drones attacked Kyiv’s Southern Bridge on October 1 and 2 and the Northern Bridge on October 3, damaging infrastructure and injuring two people in the later attack, according to Meduza’s report. The Southern Bridge remains closed to cars and metro trains, while the Northern Bridge is partly closed; Ukrainian experts say drones alone cannot destroy the bridges, but repeated strikes could make them unsafe.
Russian forces attacked two Kyiv bridges across the Dnipro River over three days, damaging road and other infrastructure and disrupting traffic, according to a report published by Meduza on October 4. The Southern Bridge was struck on October 1 and 2 and remains closed to cars and metro trains; an attack on the Northern Bridge on October 3 injured two people and left it partly closed to traffic.
The attacks mark the first reported strikes on Kyiv’s Dnipro bridges since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, according to Meduza. On the Southern Bridge, drones damaged a bridge support, guardrail and road surface, as well as a concrete barrier beside the metro tracks. The report said the crossing remained closed to both road vehicles and metro trains after the strikes.
The Northern Bridge came under attack on October 3. Meduza reported that two people were injured; damage included the road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines. Traffic restrictions there were partial, in contrast to the closure of the Southern Bridge. The report did not specify when either crossing might return to normal operation.
Kyiv has nine bridges across the Dnipro. Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza said drones alone would not be able to destroy the bridges and that more powerful weapons would be required. They warned, however, that repeated drone attacks could weaken or damage crossings enough to make them unsafe and force traffic to stop. The first attacks on the Southern Bridge have already caused severe traffic jams in the capital, the report said.
How Bridge Damage Could Disrupt Kyiv
The strikes put pressure on transport links used to cross the Dnipro, a major river running through Kyiv. Restrictions on even one crossing can add to congestion; if further damage makes additional bridges unsafe, road, metro and trolleybus movement could face wider disruption. The reported closures already show an immediate effect: the Southern Bridge is unavailable to cars and metro trains, while the Northern Bridge is operating under partial restrictions.
The potential impact should not be confused with a confirmed plan or capability to destroy the bridges. Ukrainian experts quoted by Meduza said drones on their own could not do that. Their warning is that repeated attacks could make bridges unsafe, not that the structures have already been rendered unusable across the city. The extent of the damage and the time needed for repairs will shape how long the disruptions last.
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Attacks Amid Intensified Strikes
The bridge attacks came as Russian strikes on Kyiv were reported to be increasing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian military commanders had been ordered by President Vladimir Putin to disregard the rules of warfare during airstrikes on Ukraine. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence had learned of the order through intercepted communications and that Putin issued it in September. Those statements are Zelenskyy’s account; the report did not independently verify the alleged order.
Meduza also reported 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 the report. Any embassy evacuation would be a separate development from the bridge damage; the report said such a move could serve Moscow’s propaganda aims.
“He said Vladimir 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, Repairs and Further Strikes
It is not yet clear how quickly the bridges can be repaired, when the Southern Bridge will reopen, or when restrictions on the Northern Bridge will be lifted. Meduza’s report describes the damage but gives no engineering assessment of the bridges’ structural condition or timetable for inspections and repairs.
The likelihood and scale of further attacks are also unknown. The report does not establish that Russia intends to destroy Kyiv’s bridges, and the assessment that drones alone cannot destroy them comes from Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza. The reported embassy contingency planning remains unconfirmed by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, which said it knew nothing about it. Zelenskyy’s account of Putin’s alleged order is likewise an attributed claim, not an independently confirmed finding in the report.
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Bridge Inspections and Traffic Updates
The immediate developments to watch are engineering assessments, repairs and decisions on access to the Southern and Northern bridges. Any change to closures or traffic restrictions would indicate whether damaged road surfaces, supports and utility lines can be made safe for use. The report did not provide a reopening schedule.
Further attacks could bring new closures and affect travel across the Dnipro, but their likelihood is not established in the available reporting. The status of the reported embassy contingency plans may also become clearer through statements from foreign governments or Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry. For now, the confirmed picture is limited to the damage and restrictions reported on the two crossings.
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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.
What damage was reported?
The Southern Bridge sustained damage to a support, guardrail, road surface and concrete barrier near the metro tracks. The Northern Bridge’s road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines were damaged, and two people were injured in that attack, according to Meduza.
Are the bridges closed?
The Southern Bridge was reported closed to cars and metro trains. The Northern Bridge was partly closed to traffic. The report did not give reopening dates.
Could the attacks destroy Kyiv’s 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 repeated drone attacks could still damage them enough to make crossings unsafe.
Are Western embassies leaving Kyiv?
The Guardian reportedly said diplomats were preparing contingency plans to relocate, but Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it knew nothing about the plans. No embassy relocation was confirmed in Meduza’s report.
Source: rss
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