File photo: A Russian jet powered drone strikes on one of Kyiv’s bridges, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine
No casualties were reported.
The Northern Bridge was hit during a Russian air attack, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Emergency services were deployed to the scene, while traffic from the east bank to the west bank was blocked.
More than a third of Kyiv’s residents lived on the eastern, or “left”, bank of the river before Russia’s 2022 invasion, while most government institutions and companies are located on the western, or “right”, bank. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was seeking to destroy not only bridges but also data centres, internet and mobile networks, hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure in an effort to force people to leave Ukrainian cities. Russian president Vladimir Putin has said Moscow’s attacks are a response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
The attacks caused major disruption for commuters. Ukraine disputes that justification, saying Russia began targeting its infrastructure first.