Russian forces tried to bomb a bridge only used by pedestrians and cyclists in Kyiv in apparent revenge for a major road bridge to Crimea being hit.
The Klitschko Bridge in the Ukrainian capital was targeted this morning as part of a wave of attacks which sent residents to shelter in underground stations.
It is the first time in months that Kyiv has been directly targeted, and at least eight people are thought to have died with dozens more injured.
Today’s attacks are widely seen as revenge for the humiliation of seeing part of the $4bn bridge to Crimea – seen as a jewel in the crown for Putin and a symbol of his success in annexing Ukrainian territory – blown up.
Yesterday, Vladimir Putin had blamed Ukraine for the attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge, calling it ‘a terrorist attack aimed at destroying the critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation’.
Video from a CCTV camera showed a large explosion at the pedestrian bridge in Kyiv this morning – however the missiles are believed to have missed their mark, with the bridge still intact.
In 2019, the bridge costing around $16 million was opened as a ‘scenic walkway’ with glass-bottomed viewing panels and a cycle lane, according to the Kyiv Post.