Two Russian drones strike Pivdennyi Bridge in Kyiv, public transport temporarily suspended

Russia has increased its use of drones against Ukrainian infrastructure, and the latest attacks in the Ukrainian capital have alarmed residents.

Two Russian drones struck the Pivdennyi Bridge, one of Kyiv’s main arteries over the Dnieper River, causing the temporary suspension of public transport and alarm in the capital.

Authorities said initial checks had found no critical damage to the bridge structure.

The attack took place on Thursday morning while a metro train was crossing the bridge. One of the drones hit the base of a central bridge pillar, and passengers reported a powerful explosion and dust that entered the carriage through the ventilation system.

Despite the damage caused by the explosion, Kyiv authorities said preliminary assessments showed no critical damage to the bridge’s main structure.

After the strike, metro train traffic was temporarily suspended. The train on the bridge was directed to Vydubychi station on the western bank of the Dnieper, and road traffic was later allowed to resume.

Ukrainian journalist Mariana Mykytenko, who was on one of the trains, said passengers heard warnings about a “Shahed” drone before the explosion. According to her, no one in the carriage she was in was injured.

The attack on the bridge came after another drone strike in Kyiv. At around 09:00 local time, a drone crashed into the third floor of a school.

At the time of the strike, more than 100 students were in the building, but they had been moved to a shelter and there were no injuries.

The school’s principal, Valentina Chorna, said the building suffered damage, including the partial collapse of a wall.

Ukrainian officials have also warned about the use of new drone models with jet engines, which have higher speed and may pose additional difficulties for air defense systems.