Russia’s defense ministry confirmed it had carried out the attack, stating the bridge was being used to transport military cargo. It also separately said it had struck the key Hostomel logistics hub and a cargo ship crossing the Black Sea near the southern port of Odessa.
Separately, the UN-linked International Atomic Energy Agency said four strikes in recent days had threatened safety and security” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, including reportedly disabling an off-site radiation monitoring station.
Moscow has stepped up its bombing campaign in recent weeks against Ukraine’s civil and critical infrastructure, targeting residential areas, energy facilities, sea terminals and data centers, setting the stage for a dire winter for Kyiv. In the past week alone, Russia has launched more than 190 missiles and drones, mostly targeting energy infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his troops to abandon the rules of war, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the FT this week.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is grappling with a yawning financial deficit and shortage of critical weapons. Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi this week said the country faces a $27 billion defense funding gap this year, with Kyiv hoping to cover about $7 billion domestically and looking to partners for the rest.