Ukraine: Russia strikes a second major bridge in Kyiv, Zelensky vows to target Russian refineries

Figures on the state of bridges come mainly from the New York Times, relayed by Ukrainska Pravda. The American daily reports six attacks on the capital's bridges between October 1 and 3, including five on the South Bridge. It notes that the closest road bridge to the south is about 145 km away and that one million inhabitants live on the left bank, which is mostly residential, while most administrations and businesses are on the right bank.

Meduza provides details of the damage to the South Bridge: it has lost its support, its guardrail, and part of the road, and the metro no longer runs on it. The media outlet specifies that these are, according to it, the first strikes on Kiev's bridges since the start of the war. The FAZ describes a structure of over one kilometer, which was hit, notably on its suspender cables, and estimates that Moscow can probably not destroy such structures but can cause lasting disruptions. Ukrainian experts cited by Meduza agree: drones are not enough to destroy these bridges, but they can reduce them to a state of ruin if they persist.

On the Ukrainian side, Minister Mykola Kalachnyk, interviewed by Suspilne, indicates that pontoon crossings may require up to three months of work and would offer at least half of the current capacity. A tunnel under the Dnieper is being considered in the long term, according to RMF24 and the Ukrainian press.

The human toll on the North Bridge is not consistent across all reports. The Tagesschau writes that no injuries or deaths are reported in its article; the FAZ, Svenska Dagbladet, YLE, and others report two injured, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

On this issue, the texts cite different sources. According to TASS, the Russian Ministry of Defense indicated on Friday, October 2, that it had hit a road and rail bridge that was crucial for the supply of Ukrainian groups in the Donbass. Vedomosti adds that it targeted the logistics center in Gostomel on Saturday, October 3. According to Expressen, Moscow also cites military-industrial sites and command centers.

Telex reports that the Russian president stated on Thursday that the strikes against Ukrainian economic targets were in response to Ukrainian attacks on refineries and ships in the Black Sea. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for its part, refers to a response to "terrorist acts" by the Ukrainian army, according to Cumhuriyet.

Libération, on its part, judges that the objective is "double": logistical and military pressure, but above all to durably disrupt the city. Dziennik.pl quotes a high-ranking anonymous Ukrainian official, interviewed by Reuters, who links the strikes to a decision in September lifting the restrictions on the Russian air campaign. This attribution is not confirmed by a second text in the corpus.

Several media outlets recall that the call from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not new. Cumhuriyet dates a similar message to May 25, 2026, accompanied by diplomatic notes and commented on by Deputy Minister Mikhail Galuzin on May 27. RMF24 writes that 50 states had then described the call as a "threat" and that Western embassies had remained.

ARY News, which reprints AFP, notes that heads of state and government of countries supporting Ukraine had traveled to Kiev despite this warning. Expressen quotes the Russian text, which takes a tougher tone: not everyone has heeded the warnings and "deliberately puts their life in danger".

The Guardian, cited by HVG and RMF24, mentioned a possible transfer of embassies to Lviv or eastern Poland. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied this, stating it had received no notification.

The FAZ, in its live coverage, also reports that Russian projectiles, including Banderol missiles, have fallen in Moldova according to President Maia Sandu.

In the interview with Reuters, Volodymyr Zelensky says, according to Telex, that he sees no sign of interest from Vladimir Putin in peace talks or an energy truce. Infobae, Telex, and G4Media report that he also mentions a recapture of around 140 km² in the Donbass. The Ukrainian press relays his mentions of strikes in the Samara region and on Iskander positions in the Briansk region.

Digi24 and the Portuguese press recall that Kiev regularly strikes refineries and depots, which would have contributed to a fuel crisis in Russia this summer. For the winter, ANSA cites the New York Times: the Russian general staff would be ready to launch over a thousand missiles against the energy network. MTV Uutiset, citing the same newspaper, mentions a strike that Russia is preparing to "plunge Ukraine into darkness".

Regarding Lukoil, Digi24 specifies, according to the New York Times, that it is an oil deal worth several billion dollars that would benefit Middle Eastern businessmen linked to Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and that it depends on the approval of Washington and the Kremlin. The media outlet notes that Lukoil has assets in Romania. RFI, citing the New York Times, writes that the transaction "raises serious questions of conflict of interest".

This aspect is absent from several coverage reports. The German, Swedish, Turkish, Pakistani, and Finnish texts in the corpus do not mention either the refineries or Lukoil: this measures what the selected articles contain, not the interest of their readers.