Russian drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and transport network have intensified ahead of winter, with two drones striking a major bridge in the capital, Kyiv, on Thursday.
The drones hit the Southern Bridge, a key transport link across the Dnipro River connecting the eastern and western parts of the city.
Footage shared on Telegram showed an explosion near one of the bridge’s support sections, sending thick smoke into the air as vehicles and metro trains moved across the structure.
The bridge was temporarily closed following the incident but later reopened after an initial inspection found no critical structural damage, according to the Kyiv city administration.
The attack marked the first time the bridge had been hit since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Moscow has stepped up drone and missile attacks on Kyiv in recent months, raising concerns about the security of critical infrastructure as temperatures fall.
Ukraine’s authorities said an overnight barrage targeting the energy sector on Wednesday was part of a campaign to weaken the country’s power grid before winter.
Russian forces have increasingly deployed jet-powered attack drones, which travel faster than traditional models based on Iranian Shahed designs and are more difficult to intercept.
Sergiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia was also deploying drones designed to damage electricity pylons and steel bridge structures.
He warned that the attacks could target critical high-voltage power transmission lines.
Ukraine’s nuclear safety regulator also reported that a Russian drone struck the grounds of the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv on Wednesday.
The resulting fire was quickly extinguished, with no injuries recorded. The regulator said the facility’s test reactor and safety systems were undamaged and that radiation levels remained within the natural background range.
The reactor has been shut down since 2022.
Power supply concerns
The attacks have heightened concerns about electricity and heating shortages as Ukraine approaches another winter amid continued Russian bombardment.
Last winter, some areas experienced prolonged power and heating cuts as temperatures fell to minus 20 degrees Celsius.
Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky on Sunday urged vulnerable people and persons with disabilities to consider relocating ahead of the cold season.
Grid operator Ukrenergo said recent attacks had caused power outages in several eastern, northern and central regions, urging consumers to limit electricity use as demand increased with falling temperatures.
Emergency power cuts were also introduced in Kyiv on Wednesday night.
Ukraine’s air force reported an increase in Russian drone attacks in September, recording 3,177 strikes up to September 29, compared with 2,850 in August.
Civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, petrol stations, railway facilities and warehouses, has also been hit during the recent attacks.
Zelensky said on Thursday that a Russian drone struck a school in Kyiv, causing a fire and damaging the building while children and teachers were sheltering inside.
The Ukrainian president has called for additional US-made Patriot air defence systems to counter the growing aerial threat.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is seeking to address a $20bn shortfall in its defence budget for the year. The European Union said on Thursday that it had identified the means to unlock payments intended to cover the funding gap.
Despite the intensified Russian attacks, Ukrainian forces have reportedly regained territory in the Donetsk region.
An analysis by AFP of data from the Institute for the Study of War indicated that Ukrainian troops had recaptured 172 square kilometres since launching a counteroffensive near Sloviansk and Kramatorsk last month. The operation was codenamed Vivaldi.
AFP
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