Ukraine: Kyiv bridges shut after fatal Russian drone assault

The latest Russian attacks killed at least one person and severely disrupted traffic in the Ukrainian capital. Several bridges over the Dnipro River connect western and eastern Kyiv.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NcQg

Kyiv's South Bridge as pictured on April 19, 2019
The Pivdennyi Bridge, or Southern Bridge, was one of the bridges closed as a result of the latest Russian drone attack [FILE: April 19, 2019]Image: Christophe Gateau/dpa/picture alliance

Several bridges in Kyiv have been closed as the result of new Russian drone attacks which killed one person in the city, the Ukrainian capital’s authorities said Friday. 

There are a total of eight bridges that connect Kyiv’s western and eastern banks along the Dnipro River.  

What do we know about the Russian drone attack on Kyiv? 

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city’s Southern Bridge, also known as the Pivdennyi Bridge, was “completely closed” to traffic.

Rescuers work at the site of an apartment building which was hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 2, 2026
A Russian strike hit a building in the Darnytskyi District in southeastern Kyiv Image: Valentyn Ogirenko/REUTERS

The concrete and steel bridge carries road vehicles and a metro rail line. The Southern Bridge has been hit twice over the two days by Russian drone attacks.  

The Paton Bridge was also closed to traffic towards the left bank of the Dnipro River, Klitschko said.   

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its drones targeted a bridge over the Dnipro which is used for military purposes. Russia also said it attacked a power station in the surrounding Kyiv region alongside the Port of Izmail near the Black Sea and a cargo vessel.  

A Russian attack on Kyiv also left one person in dead and at least two others injured after a strike hit a 25-story building in the Darnytskyi district.  

Russia has frequently targeted Kyiv with overnight drone attacks in the years since the start of the February 2022 invasion. Ukraine in response has been developing interceptor technology to down those combat drones.  

Residents hold their cats in front of their apartment building which was hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 2, 2026
Residents in Kyiv are frequently terrorized by nightly Russian drone attacks Image: Valentyn Ogirenko/REUTERS

Ukraine carries out fresh attacks on Russian oil facilities

Meanwhile, the governor of Russia’s southern Volgograd region said Ukrainian drone attacks targeted industrial infrastructure. An apartment building was also damaged in the Ukrainian attack, wounding one person. 

Authorities in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar said drone debris damaged an “enterprise” in the Black Sea city of Tuapse.   

In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces carried out attacks over the past 24 hours on oil facilities in the Samara and Volgograd regions. 

“Successful operations were carried out in the Black Sea and in the Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, Samara and Krasnodar regions, targeting airfields, industrial facilities, oil refineries, a missile and space center, and an ammunition depot belonging to the occupiers,” Zelenskyy said.  

Ukraine’s military has been targeting oil refineries in Russia over the past year in an attempt to cripple the country’s energy industry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia has lost 1% of GDP due to the Ukrainian strikes.  

Edited by: Karl Sexton

If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google, so you’ll always see our verified news first.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Easy WordPress Websites Builder: Versatile Demos for Blogs, News, eCommerce and More – One-Click Import, No Coding! 1000+ Ready-made Templates for Stunning Newspaper, Magazine, Blog, and Publishing Websites.

BlockSpare — News, Magazine and Blog Addons for (Gutenberg) Block Editor

Search the Archives

Access over the years of investigative journalism and breaking reports