The Russian army struck last night, for the fourth time in just 24 hours, the Southern bridge in Kiev, one of the main crossings over the Dnieper. Local authorities announced that the bridge is closed in both directions. At the same time, the Paton bridge was also blocked, and traffic on one lane of the Metro bridge was restricted, reports IPN.

The local authorities have announced that road traffic has been redirected to two other bridges, Darnița and Podil. Moreover, according to the Ukrainian rescue teams, the Russian bombings last night also targeted a 25-story residential building, where a fire broke out, resulting in the death of one person and the injury of two others.

The first attack on the South Bridge took place on Thursday. The Mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, announced then that two drones had struck near the bridge’s pillars, without causing critical damage. In the evening, another drone damaged a pillar, the parapet, the roadway, and the concrete wall protecting the metro line. The South Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge, and the entire structure is supported by steel cables anchored to the two pillars. Damage to these can lead to the collapse of the entire bridge.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has stated that the target of the attacks was a road-rail bridge that would facilitate the transfer of troops and arms deliveries to the Ukrainian forces in Donbas. According to Russian telegram channels, the Southern Bridge connects the two parts of Kiev and handles 90% of the road traffic between the left and right banks of the Dnieper.