Russian Drone Barrage Hits Kyiv’s Northern Bridge, Snarling Capital’s Traffic for Third Day

KYIV — The Russian military launched a targeted drone strike on Kyiv’s Northern Bridge early Saturday, October 3, 2026, damaging critical infrastructure spanning the Dnieper River and severely disrupting traffic in the Ukrainian capital.

In a statement released Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for the overnight barrage, asserting that the 800-meter road bridge was specifically targeted because it is used to support Ukrainian troop movements and military logistics.

According to Moscow, the strike was designed to undermine Kyiv's ability to transport personnel and equipment across the vital waterway.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the attack, reporting that a Russian jet-powered strike drone hit the Northern Bridge, damaging the road surface and severing the overhead electrical network used by municipal trolleybuses.

The damage forced authorities to suspend traffic across the bridge in both directions, triggering immediate gridlock.
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Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, and local officials reported that at least two people were injured in the strike.

The assault on the Northern Bridge marks the third consecutive day that Russian forces have targeted Kyiv’s critical transport infrastructure over the Dnipro River.

In recent days, repeated drone attacks—reportedly utilizing Geran-series jet drones—have also struck the Southern Bridge and the Paton Bridge, forcing partial or full closures and snarling traffic across the city.

Military analysts suggest that this sustained campaign against Kyiv's bridges represents a deliberate shift in Moscow's tactics.

By systematically targeting the capital's main arterial crossings, Russian forces aim not only to complicate Ukrainian military logistics but also to inflict maximum psychological and economic disruption on daily civilian life.

As technicians work to repair the damaged trolleybus power lines and assess the structural integrity of the Northern Bridge, residents face massive tailbacks and rerouted public transit.

The ongoing vulnerability of these key crossings underscores the persistent threat of long-range drone strikes deep within Ukrainian territory, even as air defense systems continue to intercept the majority of incoming aerial threats.