KYIV — Russia struck Kyiv’s Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River early Saturday morning, marking the third consecutive day of attacks on the Ukrainian capital’s bridges and deepening the traffic chaos that Mayor Vitali Klitschko says is “tearing Kyiv apart.”
FAKTA
- A Russian drone strike hit the Northern Bridge at around 6:56 a.m. local time on Saturday, October 3, 2026, after an air raid alert was declared over Kyiv at 6:38 a.m. over the threat of attack drones.
- Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the strike damaged the bridge’s road surface and trolleybus contact lines; traffic from the left bank to the right bank is currently blocked and several bus and trolleybus routes face delays.
- Russia’s defence ministry claimed the strike hit a bridge used for the transfer of troops and logistics for the supply of military cargo for Ukraine’s armed forces.
- The attack came a day after authorities fully closed Kyiv’s Southern Bridge following repeated strikes, with the Paton Bridge also closed and restrictions on the Metro Bridge.
- Around 500,000 people commute across the Dnipro daily, according to city authorities.
Northern Bridge hit after drone alert
An air raid alert was declared in Kyiv at about 6:38 a.m. local time over the threat of attack drones, followed by explosions across the capital. The hit on the bridge was reported at about 6:56 a.m., Ukrainian media reported.
“The Northern Bridge has been hit. Emergency services are heading to the scene,” Klitschko wrote on Telegram. He later added that traffic across the bridge from the left bank to the right bank was blocked while emergency services worked at the scene.
According to city transport operator Kyivpastrans, the strike damaged the bridge’s road surface and the overhead contact wires used by trolleybuses, forcing delays on several bus and trolleybus routes.
There were no casualties from the strike, Reuters reported, citing the mayor.
Bridge strikes enter a third straight day
On Thursday, October 1, Russian drones hit a school in Kyiv and the Southern Bridge over the Dnipro, sparking fires in the capital. On Friday, the Southern Bridge was struck again — the fourth drone strike in two days — and authorities closed it completely. The Paton Bridge was also closed to traffic and the Metro Bridge faced partial restrictions, bringing traffic across the capital to a standstill.
Saturday’s strike on the Northern Bridge extends the campaign to a third day, hitting one of the key crossings that link Kyiv’s eastern and western halves across the Dnipro. Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement on Telegram that unmanned aerial vehicles had hit the bridge at night.
“Tearing Kyiv apart”
Klitschko, who convened a city security council meeting on Friday, described the situation as “very dramatic.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered commanders in September to abandon any rules of war, accusing Moscow of trying to break civilian resistance and infrastructure heading into winter.
Watan News will continue to follow this developing story on the main site.
