A Russian drone struck the South Bridge in Kyiv: metro services have been suspended

During the Russian attack on Kyiv on 1 October, a drone may, according to preliminary reports, have struck the barrier near the carriageway of the South Bridge just as a metro train was passing over it.

This was reported by Channel 5, citing local Telegram channels. The information was later confirmed by the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko.

Two UAV strikes near the support structure of the South Bridge. Metro and surface public transport services across the bridge have currently been suspended. Specialists from the ‘Kyivavtodorhorod’ municipal enterprise are inspecting the condition of the structure following the strikes, he wrote.

Passengers heard an explosion and saw a flash. Afterwards, smoke appeared in the carriage and ash began to fall from the ventilation system. Damage to the train’s windows was also reported.

Following the incident, the train continued its journey to ‘Vydubychi’ station, where passengers were disembarked. At the time of the initial reports, there were no details of any casualties.

Why was the train allowed to cross the bridge during the air-raid alert?

Since September, updated rules governing transport operations during air raid alerts have been in force in Kyiv.

At the yellow threat level, which is declared when there is a danger from drones, the green Syretsko-Pecherska metro line continues to operate without restrictions. In such cases, trains run across the South Bridge between the left and right banks.

At a red threat level, services on the open section of the line are suspended. Trains then run separately on the ‘Syrets’–‘Vydubychi’ and ‘Slavutych’–‘Krasnyi Khutir’ sections.

Thus, the mere presence of a passenger train on the South Bridge during a drone threat complies with the current metro operating rules for a yellow threat level.

Kyiv was attacked by drones several times this morning

On 1 October, drone alerts were issued repeatedly in the capital.

The city authorities officially confirmed that a drone had struck a school building in the Solomianskyi district. A fire broke out there; the children were in a shelter at the time of the impact.

Later, the authorities also reported that a drone had struck a warehouse in the same district. Earlier that morning, a drone had struck the grounds of a non-residential complex in the Pechersk district.

Why this is important

The report of a possible strike near a metro train is particularly significant because part of the Green Line runs across the open South Bridge.

At the same time, in the hours immediately following the attack, it is essential to distinguish between facts confirmed by city services and reports from eyewitnesses or Telegram channels.

At the time of writing, it has been confirmed that Kyiv was subjected to a drone attack and that there were strikes in several districts. However, the specific information regarding a drone strike on the South Bridge and damage to a metro train remained preliminary.

Source

Channel 5, Kyiv City State Administration