Russian Drones Hit Kyiv's Southern Bridge a Fourth Time, Restricting Three Dnipro Crossings
Russia's drone campaign has reached the bridges that join Kyiv's two banks, and ISW assesses that repeated, precise hits with shaped-charge warheads could eventually do serious damage.
Russia's drone campaign has reached the bridges that join Kyiv's two banks, and ISW assesses that repeated, precise hits with shaped-charge warheads could eventually do serious damage.
Russian drones struck Kyiv's Southern Bridge again overnight into Oct. 2, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, and by morning the city had shut or restricted traffic on three Dnipro crossings.
The Southern Bridge closed in both directions. The Paton Bridge closed to traffic heading for the left bank, and the Metro Bridge narrowed to one lane toward the right bank, according to Klitschko. AP put full or partial closures at three of Kyiv's six road bridges and called the strikes an apparent new tactic. The Kyiv Independent found no reports that the Paton or Metro bridges were hit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Kyiv bridges were affected on Oct. 2?
The Southern Bridge closed in both directions, the Paton Bridge closed to traffic toward the left bank, and the Metro Bridge was cut to one lane toward the right bank, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. AP counted three of Kyiv's six road bridges affected.
How many times has the Southern Bridge been hit?
Four times since Oct. 1, by Kyiv Post's tally: two drones near a support that morning, a third on the roadway that evening, and a fourth overnight into Oct. 2.
What warhead did Russia use on the bridge?
That is unconfirmed. Presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said Russia had fitted jet-powered Geran drones with a 40-kilogram shaped-charge warhead for pylons and steel bridges, but ISW said the warhead used on the Southern Bridge remains unclear.
Why does Russia say it targeted the bridge?
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed the road-and-rail crossing carries troops and military cargo to Ukrainian forces in Donbas. Reuters could not verify the claim.
How large was the overnight attack?
Ukraine's Air Force counted 108 drones, including decoys, 47 of them jet-powered, and said 88 were downed or suppressed. One person was killed and two injured in a 25-story building in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, per the Kyiv City Military Administration.
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Kyiv Post counted three hits on the bridge on Oct. 1 alone, making the overnight strike the fourth. Two drones struck near a support that morning as a metro train crossed, and a third hit the roadway that evening. The bridge carries road traffic and a metro line. Its road surface, a support, a guardrail and the concrete shield around the metro track are damaged.
The warhead is the open question. Serhiy Beskrestnov, Zelensky's defense technology adviser, disclosed on Sept. 30 that Russia had fitted jet-powered Geran drones with a 40-kilogram shaped-charge warhead designed to destroy power pylons and steel bridge structures. A shaped charge focuses blast energy to punch through steel and concrete.
Such warheads could let Russia strike reinforced targets like the Southern Bridge, the Institute for the Study of War assessed, but significant damage would take repeated, precise strikes over a short period. ISW added that the warhead used on the bridge remains unclear.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its drones hit a road-and-rail bridge across the Dnipro in Kyiv, describing the crossing as a route for troops and military cargo bound for Ukrainian forces in Donbas. Reuters could not verify the claim.
Ukraine's Air Force recorded 108 drones overnight, decoys included, 47 of them jet-powered, and listed 88 as downed or suppressed. A strike on a 25-story apartment building in the Darnytskyi district killed one person and injured two, the Kyiv City Military Administration confirmed.
City buses now detour over the Darnytskyi and Podilskyi bridges. With jet-powered drones close to half of the night's wave and the warhead still unidentified, the Southern Bridge, hit four times in two days, remains closed in both directions.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.