Russia strikes bridge north of Kyiv, halting traffic in both directions
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Travel within Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, was disrupted after a bridge in the northern part of the city spanning the Dnipro River was struck during a Russian air attack today, October 3, damaging the bridge and halting movement between the eastern and western banks of the city. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said emergency crews responded after the incident, with traffic from the eastern side to the western side suspended after the road surface and overhead wires for electric buses were damaged. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. The strike on the northern bridge came after a southern bridge in Kyiv was hit repeatedly by Russian drones over the past two days, temporarily halting traffic on the southern bridge and two other crossings over the Dnipro River. The incidents could worsen travel within Kyiv, since before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than one third of the city's population, roughly 3 million people, lived on the eastern, or left, bank of the river, while government agencies and most companies are located on the western, or right, bank, forcing many people to cross the river to get to work. The latest attack comes as Russia steps up strikes on infrastructure in and around Kyiv ahead of winter, with Russian forces increasing their use of drones against the capital, and recent attacks damaging several infrastructure sites, including the southern bridge. Last week, Russia launched what Ukrainian officials see as the first phase of a renewed winter campaign against the country's energy infrastructure, alarming Kyiv residents after last winter's attacks caused widespread power and heating outages. Russia has previously denied systematically targeting civilians in its air strikes. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.