Kyiv’s Northern Bridge across the Dnipro river was struck during a Russian air attack on Saturday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported and signaling an escalation in strikes against the Ukrainian capital's vital infrastructure.
Emergency services were dispatched immediately to the scene. Authorities suspended traffic heading from the east to the west bank after the strike damaged the road surface and overhead trolleybus cables. No casualties have been reported so far.
The strike follows multiple drone attacks over the past two days on the city’s Southern Bridge, which forced temporary traffic suspensions across it and two other crossings over the Dnipro.
The disruptions hit a crucial transportation lifeline for the capital. Over a third of Kyiv's three million residents live on the east bank, while most commercial businesses and government institutions operate on the west bank.
The renewed focus on infrastructure has raised fears among residents of an impending winter bombing campaign targeting critical utilities and power networks also mirroring the harsh destruction experienced last winter. Moscow continues to deny systematically targeting civilians.
