Russia hits Kyiv's Dnipro bridges for days, restricting most road crossings
In short
Russian forces have repeatedly struck bridges over the Dnipro River in Kyiv, with Yonhap reporting at least six attacks in three days and Newsis reporting a fourth consecutive day of strikes on the capital's southern and northern bridges. Kyiv authorities blocked or severely restricted traffic on five of the city's six road bridges, disrupting the daily commute of about one million residents. Yonhap, citing analysts, says the campaign is meant to shake daily life and weaken Ukraine's will to resist.
Read the full story 2 min read
Russian forces have repeatedly struck bridges over the Dnipro River in Kyiv. Yonhap, citing foreign media, reported at least six attacks on bridges in the capital over the past three days. Newsis reported that strikes on the city's southern and northern bridges continued for a fourth consecutive day and hit civilian facilities. [ 1 , 2 ]
According to Yonhap, a bridge in southern Kyiv was hit three times on 1 October and twice more on 2 October, and a bridge in the north of the city was also struck on the morning of 2 October. The bridges did not collapse, but authorities blocked or strictly restricted vehicles and public transport on five of Kyiv's six road bridges because of damage and the risk of further strikes. [ 1 ]
About one million residents cross the Dnipro daily, commuting from homes on the eastern bank to government offices and businesses concentrated on the western bank, and Yonhap reported that the restrictions have left daily life in the city effectively paralysed. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said “the enemy is destroying Kyiv” and that it is no longer possible to pretend people can live as they did in peacetime. [ 1 ]
Yonhap, citing the New York Times, said the bridge attacks are part of a broader operation against key infrastructure far from the front line. Targets have expanded in recent weeks beyond the power grid to logistics warehouses, railways, data centres, medicine storage sites and steel plants. Ukrainian authorities and military experts say the aim is to disrupt daily life, weaken the will to resist and devastate the economy, and Yonhap reported that Ukraine is more vulnerable than at any point since the February 2022 invasion because of shortages of air-defence missiles and Russia's weapons build-up. [ 1 ]
Yonhap also reported that a drone struck a university building in central Kyiv on 28 September, causing a fire, and said the capital's earlier relative calm has been broken. [ 1 ]
Experts cited by Yonhap say Russia is unlikely to completely destroy the thick concrete bridges, but sustained attacks could weaken their substructures and force Ukrainian authorities to keep them closed for a long time to avoid collapse. Only one bridge crosses the river north of Kyiv, and the nearest bridge to the south is about 90 kilometres away, so a full closure of the capital's bridges would deal a severe blow to logistics across Ukraine. [ 1 ]
The two outlets differ on how long the bridge attacks have lasted: Yonhap describes strikes over the past three days, while Newsis describes a fourth consecutive day. Neither outlet reported casualties or gave a fuller account of the damage. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
According to Yonhap, only one bridge crosses the Dnipro north of Kyiv and the nearest bridge to the south is about 90 kilometres away, so a full closure of the capital's bridges would deal a severe blow to logistics across Ukraine. The bridge strikes are described as part of a wider Russian campaign against rear infrastructure, and Yonhap reports Ukraine is more exposed than before because of air-defence missile shortages.
Key facts
- Yonhap reported that Russian forces attacked bridges over the Dnipro River in Kyiv at least six times over the past three days, using drones and other means. [ 1 ]
- A bridge in southern Kyiv was hit three times on 1 October and twice more on 2 October, and a bridge in the north of the city was struck on the morning of 2 October, according to Yonhap. [ 1 ]
- The bridges did not collapse, but authorities blocked or strictly restricted vehicles and public transport on five of Kyiv's six road bridges because of damage and the risk of further strikes, per Yonhap. [ 1 ]
- About one million residents cross the Dnipro daily, commuting from homes on the eastern bank to government offices and businesses on the western bank, Yonhap reported. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reported that strikes on the capital's southern and northern bridges continued for a fourth consecutive day and hit civilian facilities. [ 2 ]
- Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said “the enemy is destroying Kyiv” and that it is no longer possible to pretend people can live as in peacetime, according to Yonhap. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap, citing the New York Times, said the bridge attacks are part of a broader operation against rear infrastructure, with targets expanded in recent weeks to logistics warehouses, railways, data centres, medicine storage sites and steel plants. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reported that a drone struck a university building in central Kyiv on 28 September, causing a fire. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Russian forces have struck bridges over the Dnipro River in Kyiv in recent days, including bridges in the south and north of the city. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The attacked bridges did not collapse as of the reporting, according to Yonhap. [ 1 ]
- Vehicle and public transport traffic was blocked or severely restricted on five of Kyiv's six road bridges, Yonhap reported. [ 1 ]
Still unclear
- How many consecutive days the bridge attacks have lasted. Yonhap describes at least six strikes over the past three days, while Newsis describes a fourth consecutive day; the two accounts do not match.
- Casualties and the full extent of structural damage. Neither document reports deaths or injuries, and Yonhap says only that the bridges did not collapse.
- Further detail from Newsis on the Kyiv strikes. The article text available from Newsis concerns an unrelated domestic political statement, so its headline is the only part of its account that addresses the bridge attacks.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports that Russian forces hit Kyiv's Dnipro bridges at least six times over the past three days, that a southern bridge was struck on 1 and 2 October and a northern bridge on the morning of 2 October, and that five of the city's six road bridges are blocked or restricted. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports that strikes on the capital's southern and northern bridges have continued for a fourth consecutive day and hit civilian facilities. [ 2 ]