Russian drones strike key Kyiv bridge linking eastern, western banks of city

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Two Russian drones struck near the supports of Kyiv's Southern Bridge on Oct. 1, disrupting a key metro link between the city's eastern and western banks, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

The attack took place at around 11:30 a.m. local time, as cars and a metro train continued to cross the bridge. Videos began appearing on social media around the same time, showing a fire on the bridge and a column of smoke rising above it.

Following the strikes, traffic across the bridge was halted as emergency services inspected the site and assessed the damage, the mayor said.

As the train was passing through the area, dust entered the carriage through the ventilation system following the blast wave. Neither passengers nor the driver were injured, and the train’s windows and carriage were undamaged. The train was sent to a depot for further inspection, the Kyiv City State Administration said.

As of 12:30 p.m. local time, air raid alerts had been issued six times in Kyiv since the start of the day, while explosions were heard in several parts of the city, including the central Pecherskyi district.

Kyiv has faced near-continuous drone attacks throughout the week. On Sept. 30, the city recorded one of its longest air raid alerts since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, lasting 12 hours and 44 minutes. Air raid alerts were active for a total of 20 hours and 44 minutes that day.

Several hours before the strike on Kyiv's Southern Bridge, a Russian drone hit a school in the city's Solomianskyi district, sparking a fire on the third floor and partially damaging a wall, doors and windows, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Children and teachers were in a shelter at the time of the strike, and no one was injured.

"Russian scumbags continue attacking life across our country, Ukrainian children, and our schools. Russia must be held fully accountable for this and receive a response to its strikes," Zelensky said on X.

Russian drones also struck a non-residential complex in Kyiv's Pecherskyi district and warehouse facilities in the Solomianskyi district, according to local authorities.

Russia has intensified drone attacks on Kyiv since late August, increasingly deploying faster jet-powered drones around the clock, making them more difficult for existing Ukrainian air defenses to intercept.

The latest attack comes a day after Russia launched its largest attack on Kyiv's energy infrastructure since last fall, causing power outages.

Russian attacks also struck other parts of Ukraine overnight on Oct. 1, killing at least 6 people and injuring 38 others across the country.