Kyiv Mayor Warns City Is ‘Tearing Apart’ After Russian Strikes


Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has declared Kyiv’s situation “very dramatic” as Moscow’s drone and missile barrage continues to hit the city’s critical infrastructure, logistics, housing and other key facilities.


The warning came after a crisis meeting of Kyiv’s defence council, triggered by a fresh drone attack on the city’s southern Pivdennyi Bridge. The bridge, a primary artery across the Dnipro River, was struck again in the early hours – the fourth strike within two days – causing complete traffic suspension across metro and cars alike and a tsunami of delays across the city.


In addition to the bridge, several data‑centre facilities have fallen victim to recent strikes, leading to internet outages that have left thousands of residents cut off from the digital world. Earlier this week, a high‑rise residential building suffered a strike, claiming one life and adding to the mounting civilian toll.


Klitschko said Moscow’s strategy is to “sow panic” and that the capital will ultimately prevail only through the joint efforts of those who love and care for it. “We’re talking about survival,” he told officials at the defence council meeting, underscoring the urgency of coordination among military, security, emergency and police units.


Major Russian leader Vladimir Putin has defended attacks on Ukrainian oil infrastructure as retaliation, though Ukraine maintains the strikes are aimed at crippling Moscow’s war‑financing. The conflict has already cost Russia roughly 1 % of its GDP, according to Putin’s own admission during a speech at the Valdai foreign‑policy forum.


With an estimated population of three million, Kyiv remains heavily dependent on its metro network for daily commutes. The continued targeting of bridges, data hubs and public amenities threatens not just infrastructure but the everyday life of ordinary citizens.


As the war rages on, the city’s leadership and residents face a stark reality: by deterring panic and mobilising collective resilience, Kyiv may yet withstand this new, relentless phase of Russian aggression.