Russia struck the Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge in Kyiv on Saturday morning, injuring two people and damaging the road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said. The attack blocked traffic from the western to eastern bank of the bridge, one of two major crossings spanning the Dnipro River that link the capital's divided halves.

The strike marks the second major bridge hit this week. The Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge was attacked multiple times earlier by Russian drones, forcing suspension of metro and car travel across it and causing major congestion. Neither bridge had been targeted before Thursday, signalling a shift in Moscow's strategy toward critical infrastructure in the capital of roughly three million people.

Russia's defence ministry said its drones targeted both bridges because they are used to transfer Ukrainian troops and military cargo. Moscow also renewed calls for foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave Kyiv.

Klitschko warned that "the enemy is tearing Kyiv apart" following Friday's crisis meeting of Kyiv's defence council. He described the city as facing a "very dramatic situation" as Russia batters its "critical infrastructure, logistics, housing" and other facilities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Financial Times that Putin had decided there were "no rules now" in attacking Ukraine. "The Russians have failed to occupy us. So now they are carrying out massive attacks and mass killings," Zelensky said. He added that Russia wants to destroy bridges, data centres, internet and mobile networks, hospitals, schools and universities to force people to flee cities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the strikes respond to Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries and Black Sea ships. "Now from every direction we're receiving calls 'let's stop'. But they started it," Putin stated at the Valdai foreign policy forum. Putin acknowledged Kyiv achieved "some results" from refinery strikes and that Russia lost about 1% of its GDP. The Kremlin leader noted Russia has targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure and ramped up attacks each winter since the February 2022 full-scale invasion began.

Ukraine maintains it attacks Russian oil infrastructure because it finances the war effort.