Strikes keep Kyiv’s Southern Bridge closed to traffic

Repeated strikes on Kyiv’s Southern Bridge led to its closure to road traffic on October 2, while restrictions on other crossings over the Dnipro River caused major congestion across the Ukrainian capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Klitschko said Russian forces struck the bridge again on the evening of October 2, after several attacks since October 1. The crossing remained closed to road traffic after the latest strike. City officials also reported restrictions on the Metro and Paton bridges, though accounts differed on which directions and types of traffic were affected. The precise status of each crossing was not consistently established. The Southern Bridge carries road traffic and forms part of Kyiv’s metro network between the river’s left and right banks. Its closure, alongside limits on other routes, disrupted movement across the city. Long queues of cars and buses formed, and some commuters faced lengthy journeys or continued on foot. Authorities diverted some public transport to alternative routes, according to local accounts.