Russia 'tearing Kyiv apart', mayor says, as strikes paralyse traffic

Russian attacks on key infrastructure were "tearing Kyiv apart", the city's mayor said Friday, as strikes on a bridge linking the capital's east and west brought traffic to a standstill.

President Volodymyr Zelensky accused his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of ripping up the rulebook of armed conflict by sanctioning massive attacks on civilian areas, an accusation the Kremlin has rejected.

The grinding conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, has largely focused on ground fighting in the east, with Kyiv mostly spared from the devastation wrought near the frontline.

But Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city should now be on a war footing.

"The capital is in a very dramatic situation," he posted on Telegram. "It's no longer possible to pretend that we can live now as we lived in peacetime."

His message came as the authorities shut one of Kyiv's main bridges and restricted movement on a second after another wave of deadly strikes by fast-moving, jet-powered drones.

Long lines of stationary cars and buses were gridlocked on main roads as commuters sought alternative routes — or even made their way on foot.

"I've been travelling for three hours... to get to work," said Tetiana Osypenko, a 49-year-old seamstress whose bus was stuck in a traffic jam.

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