Repeated attacks on major crossings over the Dnipro have disrupted traffic as Russia expands strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia launched another large drone attack against Ukraine as repeated strikes damaged key bridges across the Dnipro River in Kyiv, disrupting transportation and adding pressure on the capital during an intensified campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 205 drones of several types from the evening of Oct. 4 into Oct. 5. Ukrainian forces said 172 were shot down or suppressed by 8 a.m., while strikes were recorded at 13 locations and debris from intercepted weapons fell at three others. The military said some drones remained in Ukrainian airspace when it issued its preliminary assessment.
The overnight barrage followed several days of attacks on Kyiv’s bridges, an important network connecting neighborhoods on opposite sides of the Dnipro. Russian strikes have damaged the Northern Bridge and repeatedly hit the Southern Bridge, forcing authorities at different points to close or restrict major routes and creating heavy traffic across the Ukrainian capital.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a Russian strike on the Northern Bridge damaged its roadway during an attack Sunday. Two people were injured, and a hot-water supply system in the area was also damaged. The attack came during a visit to Kyiv by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as air raid warnings and explosions repeatedly interrupted the day.
The Northern Bridge strike followed attacks on the Southern Bridge beginning Oct. 1. Kyiv officials said drones hit that crossing twice around midday before another strike later damaged a support, part of the roadway and protective structures around the metro line. Metro and surface transportation across the bridge were temporarily halted as crews assessed the damage.
By Oct. 3, Russian attacks had forced full or partial closures affecting three of Kyiv’s six road bridges over the Dnipro. The Northern Bridge was struck again, damaging the road surface and trolleybus cables and forcing traffic to stop. Russia’s Defense Ministry acknowledged carrying out that attack and said the bridge was used for Ukrainian troop movements and military logistics. Ukrainian authorities have emphasized the crossings’ importance to everyday civilian transportation.
The attacks represent a growing threat to movement through Kyiv, where the Dnipro divides large residential districts from other parts of the capital. Repeated closures can create long traffic delays even when damage does not make a bridge unusable. The strikes also come as Russia increasingly uses faster, jet-powered drones that Ukrainian officials say are more difficult to intercept than earlier propeller-driven attack drones.
The bridge attacks are part of a wider Russian air campaign against targets across Ukraine. Recent strikes have hit energy, telecommunications, transportation and industrial infrastructure along with military targets. Ukrainian cities have also suffered attacks on homes and other civilian sites. Russia says its forces target military and military-related infrastructure and has denied deliberately targeting civilians.
The escalating attacks have drawn renewed attention to Ukraine’s air defenses. During his Kyiv visit, Merz announced another 1 billion euros in German military assistance and said Germany would support joint production of drones designed to intercept Russia’s jet-powered weapons. German officials also announced additional funding for repairs to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the intensified Russian strikes would bring a response from Ukraine. Kyiv has expanded its own long-range drone campaign against targets inside Russia, particularly oil refineries and other facilities that Ukrainian officials say support Moscow’s war effort. Russia has described its recent attacks as retaliatory and has said strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities will continue.
Emergency and transportation crews in Kyiv have continued assessing damage and managing restrictions around the city’s bridges while Ukrainian air defenses respond to continuing drone threats. The crossings remain critical to daily movement through the capital, making further attacks a significant risk to transportation as the aerial campaign intensifies.
Author note: Last updated October 5, 2026.