A Russian drone struck Kyiv’s Northern Bridge on October 4, injuring two people and damaging the roadway, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
The attack marked the fourth consecutive day of Russian strikes on bridges crossing the Dnipro River. One injured person received treatment at the scene, while the other was hospitalized .
The strike occurred as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv for a scheduled visit. Air raid sirens sounded across the capital as Merz met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy .
Footage circulating online showed a drone hitting the Northern Bridge, creating a large fireball and sending black smoke into the sky while vehicles were still moving across the span .
The attack damaged the road surface, trolleybus power lines, and a heating main, leaving residents of the Desnianskyi district without hot water .
A Pattern of Bridge Strikes
The strikes on Kyiv’s bridges began on October 1, when Russian drones hit the Southern Bridge five times in less than 24 hours .
The Southern Bridge carries both vehicle traffic and a Metro line. The attacks damaged its roadway, a bridge support, guardrails, and the protective concrete covering of the metro .
The bridge was completely closed to vehicle and metro traffic. On October 3, Russian forces struck the Northern Bridge for the first time .
The Northern Bridge was struck again on October 4 . Russia’s Defense Ministry said it targeted the bridge because it served as a route for Ukrainian troops and military equipment .
Russian forces have attacked Kyiv’s Dnipro River bridges at least six times over three consecutive days, according to reports .
City Effectively Split
Kyiv is divided by the Dnipro River, with residential areas concentrated on the eastern left bank and government institutions, businesses, and employment centers located on the western right bank.
Approximately 500,000 people cross from the left bank to the right bank each day, according to city officials .
The bridge attacks have severely disrupted this daily movement. Traffic jams stretched for miles, and some commuters were forced to cross bridges on foot .
One resident told NBC News that a 2.5-mile drive took him 45 minutes as traffic jammed solid .
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the situation in stark terms. ‘The capital is in a very dramatic situation. And it’s no longer possible to pretend that we can live now as we do in peacetime,’ he said on October 2. ‘The enemy is tearing Kyiv apart’ .
Buses No. 22 and No. 91 have been rerouted via the Darnytskyi Bridge. Trolleybus service for routes 29, 30, 31, and 47 has also been altered .
Kyiv’s city military administration announced new limits on movement across the bridges during air raid alerts .
Drone Capabilities and Interception Rates
Russia has used more than 1,900 attack drones against Ukraine over the past week, including more than 800 jet-powered models, according to Zelenskyy .
The jet-powered Shahed-type drones fly faster than propeller-driven models, reducing the time Ukraine’s air defenses have to intercept them.
Ukraine is downing approximately 57 percent of the jet-powered drones, compared with roughly 85 percent of older models, Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Financial Times .
On September 28, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s air defense forces shoot down about 70 percent of drones during massed attacks .
The head of state said on September 29 that Ukraine had identified the first prototypes of weapons designed to shoot down jet-powered Shaheds .
Merz Pledges Support
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on October 4 amid air raid sirens and explosions .
Merz announced an aid package that includes 1 billion euros in military aid and 350 million euros to rebuild Ukraine’s energy sector, according to Reuters .
Germany said it would provide more than 1.3 billion euros in additional support, including military assistance and funding for energy infrastructure ahead of winter. The two governments are finalizing a deal to jointly produce drones and missiles .
‘Ukraine needs all our support in the coming weeks,’ Merz said. ‘If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us’ .
Merz and Zelenskyy visited the National Academy of Sciences building, which was damaged in a Russian drone strike the previous week. Two people were killed and six others, including three children, were injured in that attack .
‘Stop this needless war,’ Merz said in a call to Russian President Vladimir Putin. ‘We are ready to enter talks to end this war, but these barbaric attacks on Ukrainian civilians must stop’ .
Expert Assessment
Kostiantyn Kryvolap, a former Antonov test engineer, told the Kyiv Independent that a drone’s warhead cannot bring down a steel bridge of that size, likening the strikes to ‘mosquito bites’ .
The intent is to disrupt traffic and logistics and to pressure residents, he said .
Russian expert Boris Rozhin, from the Center for Information and Geopolitical Research, said Moscow’s forces are focusing on striking critical components of Ukrainian bridges rather than attempting to destroy the structures entirely .
According to Rozhin, many Ukrainian bridges were built during the Soviet era and have relatively solid structures, making complete destruction difficult with limited strikes. Systematic damage to key components can temporarily render a bridge inoperable without full demolition, he said .
Russian Warning and International Response
Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a new call on October 3 for diplomats and foreign citizens to leave Kyiv, warning of new ‘massive’ air attacks .
‘We note with concern that not everyone has heeded these warnings, and that individuals are knowingly exposing themselves to mortal danger,’ the ministry said in a statement. ‘Responsibility for any potential negative consequences rests entirely with those who ignore this warning’ .
The EU ambassador to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová, said the EU delegation would remain in Kyiv.
‘The EU delegation is staying,’ she wrote on social media. ‘Threatening us will not stop Europe’s support for Ukraine. It only reminds us why that support matters’ .
Zelenskyy said people in Kyiv were enduring ‘terrible nights and days’ as attacks continued, describing Russia’s actions as those of ‘absolute barbarians’ .
‘We can see the entire pointlessness of this war at this place,’ Merz said during the visit .
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Latest Status
Kyiv is preparing pontoon crossings that officials say could take up to three months to build, with plans for several alternative bridges if strikes continue, according to the infrastructure minister .
Zelenskyy said Ukraine expects to begin fielding domestically made small missiles against jet-powered drones as early as the second half of October .
Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack on a military airfield in Russia’s Republic of Adygea, approximately 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, according to the Security Service of Ukraine. The strike hit a Su-35 fighter jet, a Su-34 fighter jet, and an ammunition depot at the base .
