Russia launches second wave of ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, disrupting transport infrastructure
Russian forces launched a second wave of ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of October 27, hitting the Southern Bridge and other infrastructure. The strikes disrupted road and metro traffic. They came a day after an evening attack killed one person and injured ten, mostly students.
Key points
- The second attack wave began at about 3:30 a.m. on October 27.
- A red-level air alert was declared in Kyiv.
- The Southern Bridge and infrastructure of the Kyiv Metro were damaged.
- Metro trains operated between Akademmistechko and Darnytsia on the Red Line; Chernihivska and Lisova stations were closed.
- The Green Line operated between Syrets and Vydubychi and between Osokorky and Chervonyi Khutir.
- The October 26 evening strike killed one person and injured ten, most of them students.
- A ballistic missile struck a university dormitory during the first attack.
- A university dormitory, an administrative building, non-residential buildings, and medical facilities were damaged.
- Most injured people during the first attack were students, and emergency medical workers were among the victims.
Why it matters
The repeated attacks caused deaths and injuries and damaged educational, medical, transport and metro infrastructure. Damage to the Southern Bridge and disruption on the Red and Green metro lines disrupted public transport in Ukraine’s capital. The strikes also underscored Ukraine’s need for additional air-defence capabilities capable of destroying ballistic missile launchers.
What happened
Russian forces first attacked Kyiv with ballistic missiles on the evening of October 26, striking a university dormitory and other sites. One person was killed and ten were injured, most of them students. Around 3:30 a.m. on October 27, a second wave of ballistic missile strikes began. The attack damaged the Southern Bridge, an administrative building in Podilskyi district and two non-residential buildings elsewhere in the city. Kyiv declared a red-level air alert. Bridge traffic was restricted, train movement across the bridge was suspended, and damage to metro infrastructure curtailed service on the Red and Green lines. The Kyiv City Administration asked passengers to account for route changes.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting foregrounded warnings from the Air Force and statements by the president, Kyiv mayor and city administration. It emphasized the human toll, particularly that most of those injured in the first attack were students and that emergency medical workers were among the victims. Coverage also detailed damage by district, restrictions on Southern Bridge traffic and changes to Red and Green metro lines. The president connected the strikes with delays in air-defence support and called for tools capable of destroying ballistic missile launchers.
Background
Monitoring channels reported that the shelling of Kyiv was conducted from Bryansk. The evening attack on October 26 was the first ballistic attack on the capital that evening and night; the overnight attack was the second. Ukrainian authorities declared the highest air-alert level during the nighttime attack.