Five killed as Kyiv and Moscow trade strikes, Russia hits second bridge

A major bridge in Kyiv, the Northern Bridge, was struck by Russian forces overnight on Saturday, as the country escalates its aerial attacks on Ukraine, according to Kyiv's major Vitaly Klitschko. The suspension of traffic on the Northern Bridge, which connects Kyiv's left and right banks, prompted emergency services to respond to the scene as road and trolleybus cables were damaged.

In total, eight bridges link the two banks of the Dnipro River, with around 500,000 people commuting daily from left to right bank. This follows a series of drone attacks on the Southern Bridge in recent days, causing temporary vehicle movement suspensions and significant traffic congestion.

The Russian Defense Ministry affirmed the attack, claiming the bridge was being utilized for transporting military cargo. Additionally, Russia struck the key Hostomel logistics hub and a cargo ship crossing the Black Sea near the port of Odessa. The International Atomic Energy Agency, under the UN, reported that four strikes in recent days have endangered the safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, including the potential disabling of an off-site radiation monitoring station.

Russia has significantly intensified its bombing campaign against Ukraine's civilian and critical infrastructure in recent weeks, targeting residential areas, energy facilities, sea terminals, and data centers. Consequently, Kyiv faces a dire winter, with Russia launching over 190 missiles and drones in the past week, mostly aimed at energy infrastructure.

President Vladimir Putin has reportedly directed his troops to abandon the rules of war, as reported by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Financial Times. Meanwhile, Ukraine is struggling with a substantial financial deficit and a shortage of critical weapons. The Prime Minister, Sergii Koretskyi, announced a $27 billion defense funding gap for 2023, with Kyiv aiming to cover approximately $7 billion domestically and seeking external support for the remaining amount.