KYIV — Over the past several days, Russia has intensified its attacks on key infrastructure in Ukraine's capital by targeting bridges spanning the Dnieper River. Since Thursday, Kyiv's bridges have come under assault six times, with recent strikes damaging both northern and southern crossings. While the structures remain standing, the damage has forced local authorities to impose partial or complete closures on five of the city’s six road bridges, significantly disrupting transportation and daily life in Ukraine's largest city.

These repeated attacks coincide with a broader Russian campaign aimed at undermining Ukraine’s logistical capabilities and civilian morale by hitting critical infrastructure far from the front lines. In recent weeks, Russian strikes have expanded beyond power grids to include warehouses, railways, data centers, medical supplies depots, and steel factories. Ukrainian officials and military analysts interpret this escalation as an effort to cripple Ukraine’s economy and war-sustaining capacity ahead of the winter season.

Kyiv residents, who had experienced relative safety during most of the conflict, are confronting a stark shift. Air raid sirens and drone overflights have become nearly constant, with a recent drone strike setting fire to a central university building—a neighborhood that had previously been spared direct attacks. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, reflected the growing unease when he said, “The enemy is destroying Kyiv. It is no longer possible to pretend that we can live as we did in peacetime.”

The first of the recent bridge attacks occurred Thursday evening when three drones struck a southern bridge simultaneously, just as a metro train was crossing. No casualties were reported, but metro service was suspended. The same bridge was targeted twice more on Friday, with witnesses describing drone strikes while pedestrians were on the bridge. On Saturday, another strike hit a northern bridge, leading to temporary closures.

While these bridges are robust concrete structures unlikely to be destroyed by a single attack, repeated strikes could weaken their integrity, prompting authorities to close them indefinitely to avoid potential collapse. Given the Dnieper River’s role in dividing Kyiv—and Ukraine more broadly—such closures would disrupt the movement of food, supplies, and equipment. The closest alternative crossings are located many miles away, requiring lengthy detours that could strain logistical networks nationwide.

Ukraine’s limited air defenses have struggled to counter Russia’s expanding arsenal of unmanned drones and missiles, making critical infrastructure particularly vulnerable. Past Ukrainian attacks on Russian-held bridges, such as the Kerch Bridge linking the annexed Crimean Peninsula to mainland Russia, have shown the challenges in disabling these heavily fortified targets. Both sides appear to recognize the strategic importance of bridge crossings in this evolving conflict.

The recent assaults on Kyiv’s bridges underscore the intensifying infrastructure war in Ukraine’s ongoing struggle to maintain sovereignty and civilian resilience amid growing Russian military pressure.