Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to intensify drone strikes against Russian oil facilities in retaliation for intensive aerial bombardments targeting civilian infrastructure and Dnipro River bridges in Kyiv, which have brought transport across the capital to a standstill.
A sharp escalation in Russian air attacks has left Kyiv facing its most severe disruption since the early weeks of the 2022 invasion. Over the course of several days, drone strikes hit critical transportation links across the Dnipro River, severing key routes between the city’s eastern and western banks and throwing commuter traffic into chaos.
The offensive comes after an order issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin in September to remove constraints on the air campaign, according to a senior Ukrainian official cited by The Guardian. Officials reported that about 500,000 commuters typically travel daily from the left bank to the right bank.
Damage to the Southern and Northern Bridges Paralyzes Kyiv Transport
The city’s vital river crossings became direct targets as strikes struck infrastructure links repeatedly. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the situation as very dramatic
and warned that normal peacetime life in the capital is no longer sustainable.
“The capital is in a very dramatic situation. And it’s no longer possible to pretend that we can live now as we do in peacetime. The enemy is tearing Kyiv apart.”
Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, via Telegram
The Southern Bridge, which carries ground transportation and the city’s subway lines, was struck multiple times by drones, prompting an emergency meeting of Kyiv’s defense council. The Northern Bridge also sustained heavy damage to its road surface and overhead trolleybus wires, injuring two people.
While experts note that drones are unlikely to collapse the concrete structures entirely, repeated impacts force closures, cause severe travel gridlock, and threaten structural integrity over time. Authorities reported that about 600,000 vehicles normally cross the Dnipro daily, a throughput the city is struggling to maintain. Klitschko reported the strike on Telegram, noting that emergency services were dispatched to the scene while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in the city on a surprise visit.
Zelenskyy Outlines Retaliatory Oil Refinery Strikes and Warns of New Russian Doctrine
Addressing foreign journalists, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv has blamed the Kremlin for ramping up assaults on non-military targets recently in an effort to drive inhabitants out of urban centers ahead of the winter season. As Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine endure continuous round-the-clock bombardments, Zelenskyy urged international partners to take steps to block Moscow from acquiring parts for its military equipment.
“First of all, oil refiners: who give money to them [Russia] for this war. But we will not respond, of course, like them, on any civilian objects.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine
In response, Kyiv intends to expand its campaign against the Russian energy sector. Ukrainian drone operations already targeted a Lukoil facility in Volgograd and another oil facility in Samara region. According to Yahoo News Canada, long lines have formed at Russian petrol stations.
Ukraine Builds Pontoon Crossings as Poland Restores Air Shelters
To bypass the severed bridge network, Ukrainian authorities are moving quickly to establish alternative routes. Reconstruction, Infrastructure, and Transport Minister Mykola Kalashnyk announced that construction on pontoon crossings and dams has already begun following a coordination meeting with the president, though the work could take up to three months. Meanwhile, in Lublin, Poland, a Cold War-era air raid shelter beneath a municipal bus operator facility was revived and modernised to provide safety for 200 people for up to 72 hours, with its emergency exit now facing west instead of east amid heightened regional alerts.
At the same time, Ukrainian leadership is pressing allies for stronger defensive weaponry and financial backing. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told reporters that Poland, Belgium, and Spain agreed to supply 20mm ammunition rounds for F-16 fighter jets. Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi noted that the country faces a $27 billion defense funding gap this year, with domestic sources covering roughly $7 billion. Conor Coleman, head of investments at the US International Development Finance Corporation, noted that projects under the joint investment platform established via a minerals pact totaled about $70m.
International diplomatic pressure mounted in tandem with the strikes. Moldovan President Maia Sandu reported that five Russian air attack weapons, including missiles and drones, violated Moldovan airspace and exploded on national soil during the bombardment, declaring that Moscow is putting lives at risk across Europe.