Russian strikes hit Kyiv's North Bridge after repeated drone attacks on South Bridge

Strikes hit Kyiv bridges across the Dnipro

On Saturday, 3 October 2026, Russian strikes hit the North Bridge in Kyiv, marking the third consecutive day of attacks targeting the capital's river crossings. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that the strike damaged the road surface and overhead trolleybus power cables, shutting down traffic moving from the left bank to the right bank of the Dnipro River. Emergency services deployed to the crossing immediately following the blast. The strike follows separate drone attacks on Thursday and Friday against the South Bridge, another primary transit artery in Kyiv. Following those earlier strikes, municipal authorities closed the South Bridge to both motor vehicles and metro train services.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported the incident on Telegram:

The North Bridge has been hit. Emergency services are on their way.

Traffic restrictions and logistical strain in the capital

The targeted strikes on the North and South bridges have created extensive traffic congestion throughout Kyiv, a metropolis divided by the Dnipro River. Kyiv relies on eight main road and rail bridges to maintain daily logistics and passenger transport between its eastern and western districts. In response to the strikes and security risks, city authorities restricted traffic on Friday across two other crossings, the Paton Bridge and the Metro Bridge, despite neither being hit directly. Journalists from AFP also observed temporary restrictions imposed on Saturday morning on the Darnytsky Bridge. Municipal officials have prepared for potential infrastructure strikes against these eight vital crossings since Russia began its invasion in 2022.

Glide bomb attacks in Kharkiv and rising civilian casualties

Beyond the capital, Russian forces launched three glide bombs into the Slobidskyi and Nemyshlyansky districts of Kharkiv on Friday evening. Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, confirmed that the bombardment destroyed a residential apartment building and killed two women, aged 66 and 80. Ukrainian rescue services reported that 36 additional civilians, including three children, sustained injuries in the blast. Glide bombs can travel dozens of kilometers after release, allowing Russian aircraft to launch them from standoff positions beyond the reach of local Ukrainian air defenses. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov stated that the residential building was completely destroyed during the strike.

Oleh Syniehubov detailed the casualties on Telegram:

Three glide bombs were spotted as they struck the Slobidskyi and Nemyshlyansky districts. Two women aged 66 and 80 lost their lives as a result of this strike by the Russian army.

Escalating bombardment and infrastructure pressure ahead of winter

The bridge strikes form part of an intensifying Russian aerial campaign against Ukrainian urban centers ahead of winter. In September, attacks on Kyiv nearly doubled compared to August, with frequent drone and missile barrages striking city center districts, power networks, gas lines, distribution hubs, data centers, and fuel stations. Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv 24 times between 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM during September alone. Former Dutch land forces commander Mart de Kruif noted that Russia called up 60,000 reservists in recent weeks and suffered approximately 2,000 casualties over the past week. Concurrently, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights described a desperate situation in the contested town of Oleshky, where residents face severe shortages of basic food and essential medicines.

Mart de Kruif evaluated the Russian strategy against the capital:

You see two things: more air strikes, both during the day and at night, so that people get no rest, and more civilian targets. Putin aims to break morale in Ukraine after 4.5 years of fighting.