Global Pulse

分类： world

  • US Marine arrested over murder of woman in Okinawa, Japan

    US Marine arrested over murder of woman in Okinawa, Japan

    A deadly alleged criminal incident involving an American service member has roiled U.S.-Japan relations and reignited long-simmering tensions over American military basing in Okinawa, after local Japanese authorities took a 20-year-old U.S. Marine into custody on suspicion of murder following the discovery of a local woman’s body in a Naha City hotel.

    The suspect, Devin Jacob Ballard, is assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, one of the largest American military installations on the Japanese southern prefecture. The victim has been identified by Japan’s national public broadcaster NHK as 39-year-old Anna Yagi, a local resident of Okinawa. Her body was found early Saturday morning in a hotel in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, according to Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

    Top Japanese leaders have issued sharp condemnation of the alleged crime, framing it as an unacceptable violation of local safety that deepens longstanding public anxiety over the presence of American troops. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi labeled the incident a “brutal and heinous” robbery-murder, confirming that she has formally called on the United States to implement far stricter discipline for all military personnel stationed across Japanese territory. Koizumi echoed that outrage in a social media statement, saying, “Such an incident is utterly inexcusable and fills me with strong indignation. Incidents and accidents involving U.S. military personnel cause significant anxiety to the local community and must never occur.”

    Okinawa’s regional leadership went further, arguing that the alleged killing proves that repeated U.S. promises to improve personnel conduct have failed. Okinawa Governor Genta Koja noted that his prefecture has repeatedly demanded action from Washington to prevent similar incidents, saying the killing demonstrates a fundamental lack of discipline among American forces. “The fact that this kind of event has happened again leaves us no choice but to conclude that the U.S. military’s efforts in maintaining discipline, educating personnel, and other such measures are completely ineffective,” Koja said.

    In response to the incident, U.S. officials have pledged full cooperation with Japanese investigative authorities. The U.S. Marine Corps released a statement on social media confirming it is working alongside Japanese law enforcement following the allegations of serious criminal conduct by one of its service members, and extended official condolences to Yagi’s family. The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo also confirmed it is coordinating fully with the Japanese government and local police. On Sunday, Japan’s foreign ministry formally summoned U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass for talks about the incident, a step that underscores the diplomatic friction the killing has generated.

    Okinawa has hosted a heavy American military presence for decades, with tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed across multiple bases in the prefecture. While the basing agreement is a core pillar of the U.S.-Japan security alliance, it has long been a source of discontent among local Okinawans, who have repeatedly protested crimes, environmental damage, and public nuisance linked to American military personnel.

  • Watch: What we know about Russian strikes on Kyiv bridges

    Watch: What we know about Russian strikes on Kyiv bridges

    A fresh wave of Russian attacks has once again struck a critical infrastructure link in the Ukrainian capital, marking the second straight day that strikes have targeted Kyiv’s Northern Bridge. Dan Johnson, the BBC’s senior Ukraine correspondent, is currently positioned in the immediate vicinity of the damaged crossing, providing on-the-ground reporting of the aftermath of the latest attack.

    The repeated targeting of the river crossing underscores the ongoing pressure Russian military operations are placing on key transportation networks in and around Kyiv, as the conflict in Ukraine enters another phase of intensified strikes on urban infrastructure. Local authorities have not yet released full details on casualties or the extent of structural damage to the bridge, which serves as a vital connection for residents and supply movements in the northern part of the capital region.

    Johnson’s presence near the site comes as international media continues to document the impact of daily strikes on Ukrainian cities, bringing first-hand perspective on how the attacks are disrupting civilian life and transport links across Kyiv.

  • Ethiopian rebel forces withdraw from Tigray regional capital

    Ethiopian rebel forces withdraw from Tigray regional capital

    After nearly two years of fragile peace following a brutal civil war, Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has once again become the center of escalating armed conflict, with a recent development marking a dramatic turning point in tensions between federal authorities and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

    The TPLF, the rebel group that governed Tigray prior to the 2020 civil war and retained de facto regional control after the 2022 peace deal, announced that it has ordered a tactical temporary withdrawal of its forces from Mekelle, Tigray’s capital, as pro-government troops advance on the city. Spokespeople for the group emphasized that the decision was driven primarily by humanitarian priorities, to avoid mass civilian casualties that would come from intense urban combat within Mekelle’s populated neighborhoods.

    Two local residents confirmed the shift in control to the BBC, stating that pro-government forces now hold full authority over the city, and TPLF fighters have fully withdrawn from key infrastructure and population centers. One resident also reported a limited restoration of mobile communications services in several districts of Mekelle, a small sign of returning normalcy after weeks of disrupted connectivity.

    Renewed hostilities broke out across northern Ethiopia in recent weeks, with clashes spreading beyond Tigray into the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions, pitting TPLF fighters against Ethiopia’s national army and its allied local militias. The collapse of the 2022 African Union-brokered Pretoria Agreement, which had been celebrated as a landmark step toward ending one of the deadliest conflicts of the 21st century, has been underway for six months, with both the federal government and the TPLF repeatedly trading accusations of violating the terms of the peace deal.

    Tensions escalated dramatically last month, when the TPLF announced it had formed a unified armed alliance with six other opposition militant groups across Ethiopia, including the Amhara-based Fano militia. The coalition openly declared its core goal to be the removal of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s sitting government from power.

    The original 2020-2022 Tigray conflict left a legacy of catastrophic harm: the African Union’s lead mediator for the peace talks estimated that roughly 600,000 people died from combat, famine, and preventable disease, pushing the entire region to the brink of mass starvation. Even after the peace deal was signed, Tigray residents have struggled to rebuild their lives and communities amid lingering political and economic instability.

    The TPLF’s withdrawal from Mekelle has shifted the trajectory of the conflict dramatically, and regional and global observers have sounded alarms over the risk of wider destabilization across the entire Horn of Africa. Many analysts warn that escalating conflict could draw neighboring states into open confrontation, worsening an already volatile security landscape.

    Diplomatic tensions have already spiked between Ethiopia and its border neighbors. On Friday, Ethiopia and Eritrea formally severed diplomatic ties after Addis Ababa accused Asmara of providing military and logistical support to the new rebel alliance — a claim Eritrean authorities have outright denied. Ethiopia has also levied similar accusations against Egypt, a longstanding regional rival of Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute. The tit-for-tat escalations led Ethiopia to expel a senior Egyptian diplomat, which Egypt reciprocated by ordering an Ethiopian embassy official to leave the country within the same timeframe.

    A diplomatic meeting focused on the Ethiopian conflict is scheduled to take place on Sunday in Egypt, bringing together leaders from several of Ethiopia’s neighboring countries. Ahead of the talks, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement calling for all warring parties to exercise maximum restraint and return to negotiations to resolve disputes through dialogue rather than force.

    The United Nations has also issued urgent warnings about the humanitarian impact of the renewed fighting, noting that the deteriorating security situation has severely disrupted life-saving aid operations across northern Ethiopia. The UN has called on all factions to guarantee safe, unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations to deliver food, medicine, and other critical supplies to vulnerable civilian populations trapped in conflict zones.

  • Kyiv bridge hit in further Russian drone attack as German chancellor makes surprise visit

    Kyiv bridge hit in further Russian drone attack as German chancellor makes surprise visit

    A fresh wave of Russian drone attacks has struck one of Kyiv’s key river crossings for the second straight day, unfolding just as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in the Ukrainian capital for an unannounced solidarity visit. The Sunday morning strike on Pivnichnyi, or Northern, Bridge came 24 hours after an initial drone assault that damaged the bridge’s roadway and snarled local cross-city traffic.\n\nKyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that the latest attack inflicted additional damage beyond the bridge itself: a critical heating main serving the capital’s northeastern Desnyanskyi district was hit, leaving thousands of local residents without temporary hot water access. In an immediate update posted to his Telegram channel, Klitschko wrote, “Hitting the roadway on the North Bridge. Emergency services are on their way to the scene.” Unverified amateur footage circulating online captures the chaos of the strike: civilian cars are seen traveling across the span moments before a drone slams into the structure, triggering a massive fireball that sends thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky above the Dnipro River.\n\nThis latest attack is part of an intensifying four-day campaign by Moscow to target major critical infrastructure across Kyiv. Over the past week, two of the capital’s key Dnipro River bridges — Pivnichnyi and Pivdennyi, or Southern, Bridge — have been repeatedly hit by Russian drones. Prior to Thursday, neither span had been targeted since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Both bridges play a vital logistical role, connecting the western and eastern halves of the capital.\n\nThe first strike on Pivnichnyi Bridge on Saturday left two people injured and damaged both the road surface and overhead trolleybus power lines, Klitschko said. Just days earlier, Pivdennyi Bridge endured multiple direct drone hits that damaged its structural cables. The repeated assaults prompted Kyiv’s defense council to convene an emergency crisis meeting on Friday to coordinate response efforts.\n\nRussia has publicly defended the targeting of the two bridges, claiming they are used by Ukrainian forces to transfer troops and military supplies across the capital. The Kremlin has also issued a repeated warning urging all foreign citizens, including diplomatic staff, to evacuate Kyiv immediately. Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed the recent wave of infrastructure attacks as a retaliatory measure against Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities, a claim that ignores the fact that Moscow launched its own large-scale attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure first.\n\nWhile military analysts note that modern reinforced concrete bridges such as those crossing the Dnipro are unlikely to collapse from individual drone strikes, repeated consecutive attacks carry significant risks. Experts explain that even if the spans do not fully collapse, frequent assaults will force prolonged closures to repair damage and gradually weaken the bridges’ structural integrity over time, rendering them unusable for both civilian and military traffic.\n\nKlitschko has sounded the alarm over the growing pressure on Kyiv, warning the city is facing a “very dramatic situation” as Russian forces batter critical infrastructure, logistics hubs, residential housing and other key city facilities.\n\nCoinciding with the latest strike, Merz’s surprise trip to Kyiv brought a fresh show of German support for Ukraine. Arriving in the capital by train, the German chancellor met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and paid respects to fallen Ukrainian defenders at a city memorial. During his visit, Merz reaffirmed Berlin’s longstanding commitment to Kyiv and pledged new additional assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.\n\nIn a post on X outlining the purpose of his visit, Merz wrote: “Ukraine is facing decisive weeks. That is why I travelled to Kyiv today with the message: You can rely on us. Germany’s security also depends on the outcome of this war. That is why we are helping out of our own self-interest as well.”

  • Australia investigating Flydubai co-pilot’s links to country

    Australia investigating Flydubai co-pilot’s links to country

    On September 30, a routine commercial flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv devolved into an unprecedented mid-air crisis that has now sparked multinational investigations spanning four continents. Flydubai Flight, carrying more than 170 passengers and crew, was two and a half hours into its journey when its Omani co-pilot, identified by major international outlets as Hamam al-Hammami, launched a violent attack on the lead captain using a crash axe. The assault sent the plane plummeting 17,000 feet (approximately 5,200 meters) before quick-thinking passengers and reserve pilots intervened to avert a catastrophic disaster.

    In the chaotic moments after the attack, injured captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, managed to drag himself to the cockpit door and force it open, letting passengers inside to overpower the co-pilot. Two off-duty reserve pilots traveling on the flight then stepped in to take control of the aircraft and divert it to a safe emergency landing in southern Saudi Arabia. Following the landing, Machchhar was transported for emergency medical care, first to a local hospital and later to Abu Dhabi, where medical officials confirm he remains in stable condition. The accused co-pilot was taken into custody by Saudi authorities immediately after landing and is currently undergoing questioning, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    In the wake of the incident, Australian law enforcement and security agencies have launched a formal investigation into any connections between Hammami and Australia. Multiple sources with knowledge of the case have confirmed to Australian media that Hammami was granted an Australian student visa in 2014, and resided in the country for academic study between 2015 and 2017 before departing. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports that his student visa was formally canceled in 2019, after he dropped out of his enrolled course and became ineligible to maintain the visa. Australian counter-terrorism officials have confirmed they will specifically examine whether Hammami underwent radicalization during his time in Australia, a key line of inquiry in the ongoing probe. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed in a statement to the BBC that the investigation involves collaboration with state police units and Australia’s national security agency, with updates to be released “at the appropriate time.”

    UAE authorities have already categorized the incident as an attempted terrorist act. UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi announced over the weekend that official investigations are ongoing to fully map out the circumstances of the attack, identify clear motives, and uncover any possible co-conspirations or related connections. Additional reporting from U.S. media outlets has revealed red flags in Hammami’s employment history long before the Flydubai incident: while enrolled in flight training at Oman Air, Oman’s national flag carrier, he was removed from the training program over explicit concerns about his radical ideological views, and reassigned to a non-flight role within the airline.

    Further public records show that between 2020 and 2023, Hammami completed a distance-learning degree in aviation management through Buckinghamshire New University in the United Kingdom. University officials have confirmed he graduated with the degree in 2023, and clarified that he never enrolled in or received any pilot training through the institution. Netanyahu has confirmed the accused is an Omani national, and multiple nations are now cooperating to share intelligence and build a full picture of the plot that nearly claimed more than 170 lives.

  • Rare tornado whips through small Australian town

    Rare tornado whips through small Australian town

    A rare and unexpected weather event has disrupted daily life in the quiet coastal community of Ulladulla, located in Australia’s New South Wales, after a powerful tornado tore through the area on [recent date]. Local residents and bystanders captured dramatic footage of the twister as it carved a path through the small town, leaving a trail of structural damage and uprooted vegetation in its path.

    Eyewitness accounts describe a sudden shift in weather conditions, with dark, roiling storm clouds giving way to the distinct funnel shape that is uncommon in this part of the country. The tornado’s strong winds knocked down multiple large trees across residential streets and main thoroughfares, blocking road access for several hours and forcing local transport authorities to deploy cleanup crews immediately. Multiple residential and commercial properties reported visible damage, including broken roof tiles, ripped off siding, and broken windows from flying debris. No immediate reports of serious injuries or fatalities have been confirmed by local emergency services, though several residents were treated for minor cuts and shock at the scene.

    New South Wales has long faced a range of extreme weather events, including bushfires, severe flooding, and intense thunderstorms, but tornadoes remain a rare occurrence in the coastal regions of the state. Meteorologists from the Bureau of Meteorology have confirmed the tornado formation, noting that it developed as part of a fast-moving cold front that swept across southern New South Wales earlier this week. Local emergency management officials have urged residents to remain alert for further severe weather warnings and to check on vulnerable neighbors in the wake of the storm.

    Cleanup operations are already underway across Ulladulla, with work crews working to clear fallen trees from roads and assess the full extent of property damage. Local authorities have advised affected residents to document damage for insurance claims and contact emergency support services if they require temporary accommodation or assistance with repairs.

  • Yemeni army claims 1,540 Houthi casualties as fighting intensifies in Taiz

    Yemeni army claims 1,540 Houthi casualties as fighting intensifies in Taiz

    After more than two years of fragile relative calm brokered by the United Nations, Yemen’s long-running civil conflict has reignited with intense violence, centered on the strategically critical southwestern governorate of Taiz. The internationally recognized Yemeni government has released new battlefield figures confirming that 1,540 Houthi fighters were killed or wounded in just 24 hours of intensified combat across the governorate.

    According to Yemeni military officials, government-aligned forces launched 474 coordinated operations against Houthi positions, reinforcement convoys, command hubs, and military infrastructure across multiple front lines in the region, with the vast majority of recorded casualties concentrated in Taiz. Military spokesman Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili detailed that the strikes combined multiple assets, including coalition warplanes, unmanned drones, heavy artillery, guided missiles, and rocket launchers.

    In a major development that exacerbates humanitarian risks in the region, government forces announced the closure of the al-Houban crossing last Saturday. This critical crossing connects Houthi-held al-Houban district to government-controlled Taiz city, and its closure marks a sudden reversal of a 2024 humanitarian decision that reopened the route after nine years of shutdown. Military authorities stated the action was taken for security reasons, citing attempted Houthi infiltration, targeted attacks near the route, and a large Houthi military buildup in the surrounding area. The crossing is one of the few formal links between territory controlled by the two warring parties, so its reclosure severely cuts off civilian access to basic goods and movement between opposing sides.

    The latest surge in fighting is part of a growing trend of escalated clashes across Taiz that has unfolded in recent weeks. Government forces have reported continuous engagements in multiple hotspots, including Bani Bakari, Maqbanah, al-Aqroud, and the northern and eastern outskirts of Taiz city. Military officials confirmed the closure is part of a broader strategy to block Houthi advances toward key supply routes and strategic highland positions that overlook much of the governorate. Just days before this latest escalation, the Yemeni military announced it had carried out 71 separate raids against Houthi positions across Taiz.

    This sharp uptick in hostilities follows the total collapse of a UN-brokered truce in July 2024. The truce, first agreed in April 2022, had ushered in the longest period of reduced violence since the civil war began a decade earlier. Prior to the latest Taiz escalation, Houthi forces made significant territorial gains along Yemen’s western coastline in September 2024, advancing around the strategic port city of Mocha. Government-aligned troops later reported they had stabilized most front lines and recaptured key strategic positions lost in the initial Houthi push.

    Beyond battlefield losses, the renewed conflict has triggered a massive new wave of civilian displacement. Yemen’s official Executive Unit for Internally Displaced Persons Camps Management confirmed that by September, at least 198,000 people had already been forced to flee their homes due to the resumption of large-scale hostilities. As the epicenter of the current fighting, Taiz has absorbed the largest share of displaced populations: the agency reported Thursday that 13,925 displaced families totaling 97,529 people are now scattered across 15 of the governorate’s districts.

    Yemen’s civil war first erupted in 2014, when Houthi rebels seized control of the capital Sanaa and expanded their territorial control across most of northern Yemen. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in 2015 to support the internationally recognized Yemeni government, turning a domestic insurgency into a years-long regional conflict that has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Taiz has remained one of the most strategically important regions throughout the conflict, thanks to its unique location linking Yemen’s interior highlands to the critical Red Sea shipping coast.

  • Medical plane with 6 on board missing off Massachusetts coast

    Medical plane with 6 on board missing off Massachusetts coast

    A multi-agency search and rescue operation is actively ongoing off the coast of Massachusetts, United States, after a medical aircraft carrying six people vanished from air traffic control radars in the early hours of Saturday. The incident unfolded when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lost all communication contact with the Gulfstream G-100 aircraft shortly after 1 a.m. local time, prompting officials to immediately issue an urgent alert for search teams to mobilize. According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Northeast District, the search area is concentrated in waters surrounding Nantucket, a small island located off Massachusetts’ southeastern coast.

    Flight tracking data from industry platform FlightAware outlines the plane’s final journey: the aircraft departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport at 11:40 p.m. local time Friday, on a scheduled flight bound for Boston Logan International Airport, with an expected arrival time of 1:30 a.m. EDT Saturday. Records from the flight tracker show that in the moments before contact was lost, the plane suffered a dramatic, sudden loss of altitude, plummeting from a cruising height of approximately 7,300 meters (24,000 feet) to just 3,300 meters (11,000 feet) before all signals went dark.

    Coast Guard officials confirmed that the plane, identified by its registered tail number, is owned and operated by Latitude Air Ambulances, a company specialized in arranging and operating international medical evacuation flights that transport patients back to their home countries for ongoing care. As of the latest updates, search teams combining air assets and coastal cutters are combing the targeted area, with no debris or signs of the missing aircraft or passengers having been reported as found. The cause of the disappearance remains under preliminary investigation by aviation safety officials.

  • Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says

    Flydubai co-pilot attacked captain with axe, UAE official says

    A dramatic mid-flight crisis unfolded on a Flydubai commercial flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv earlier this week, when the aircraft’s co-pilot launched a sudden, violent attack on the captain in an attempt to seize control of the plane carrying more than 170 passengers and crew. The United Arab Emirates’ top prosecutor confirmed the attacker used a standard emergency crash axe stored in the cockpit to assault the flight’s commander, Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national.

    Roughly two and a half hours into the scheduled journey, the assault sent the plane into a terrifying 17,000-foot nosedive, triggering emergency transponder codes: first the general emergency signal 7700, followed by 7500, the international code for unlawful interference or hijacking. Despite suffering multiple stab wounds and being left lying on the cockpit floor injured, Captain Machchhar refused to surrender control of the downing aircraft. In a first-hand account of the incident, he recalled, “I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” a critical action that allowed passengers and backup pilots to reach the cockpit and intervene.

    Israeli President Isaac Herzog detailed how the alarm was first raised by Tali Manes, an Israeli passenger who heard the chaotic struggle coming from the locked cockpit. Once Captain Machchhar managed to pry the door open, Manes’ husband Zvika, alongside three other Israeli passengers — Yaniv Hayun, Dr. Shota Musayev and Asaf Rajuan — rushed into the cockpit to subdue the attacker. Hayun, in an official video released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, explained that the attacker was actively attempting to destroy cockpit instruments to disable the plane. Hayun grabbed the attacker in a chokehold, dragged him out of the cockpit, and other passengers assisted in restraining him, using the attacker’s own zip ties and in-flight multimedia headphone cables to secure him. Hayun also adjusted the plane’s controls to steady its descent before two off-duty reserve pilots on board took over full control of the aircraft and diverted it to a safe landing in Saudi Arabia.

    One passenger, Almog Itali, described the terrifying experience to the BBC, comparing the rapid descent to a rollercoaster drop. “Suddenly the aeroplane started to, like a rollercoaster, to drop down with a massive G-force. It was falling down for 20 or 30 seconds, rapidly, and then balanced, and then started once again to fall down,” he said.

    According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the attacker is an Omani national. After he was subdued, Netanyahu told Fox News the attacker repeatedly shouted “Kill me, kill me!” to the crew, leading Netanyahu to conclude “it’s clear that he was suicidal… It looks very likely that he was going to down the plane.” Netanyahu also added that the attacker “underwent Islamist radical indoctrination.” The UAE’s state news agency confirmed that authorities have launched an investigation to determine whether the incident was linked to any terrorist organization or extremist activity, with the country’s attorney general noting that investigations are still ongoing to establish the full circumstances and underlying motives of the attack.

    Following the successful landing, Captain Machchhar was first transported to a nearby medical facility for urgent treatment, then airlifted to Abu Dhabi for further care. The Indian Embassy in the UAE released a statement Thursday confirming the captain is in stable condition, and that he is “in good health and recovering well.” In his own public comment on the incident, Machchhar expressed confidence in his recovery, saying “I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again.”

    The Indian government has publicly commended Captain Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery in the face of danger, praising his “immense courage” that saved the lives of everyone on board. Netanyahu echoed that praise Wednesday during an interview with CNN, saying the injured captain, quick-thinking passengers, and backup crew had “managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster.”

  • Russia strikes second major bridge in Kyiv, mayor says

    Russia strikes second major bridge in Kyiv, mayor says

    Fresh Russian strikes have targeted a second critical infrastructure bridge in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, marking a sharp escalation in Moscow’s campaign against key city facilities, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

    The latest attack damaged the road surface and overhead power lines for trolleybus transit on the Northern Bridge, Klitschko confirmed in a statement posted to Telegram on Saturday. Following the strike, all traffic traveling from the left bank to the right bank of the Dnieper River on the bridge has been temporarily blocked, with emergency response teams already deployed to the site to assess damage and begin repairs.

    This assault on the Northern Bridge comes just days after repeated Russian drone strikes targeted Kyiv’s Southern Bridge (known locally as Pivdennyi Bridge) starting last Thursday. In that initial attack, one Russian drone struck critical power cables on the Southern Bridge, disrupting transit operations.

    Before this string of attacks that began Thursday, neither of the two major bridges connecting the eastern and western districts of Kyiv had been hit by Russian forces. Analysts and Ukrainian officials say this new targeting of key capital transit links signals a clear shift into a new phase of Russian offensive operations against Kyiv’s core infrastructure.

    In the wake of the first attacks on the Southern Bridge, Kyiv’s Defense Council held an emergency crisis meeting on Friday. During that session, Klitschko issued a stark warning that the stepped-up pace of Russian drone and missile strikes was putting intense strain on the capital. He described the current situation facing Kyiv as “very dramatic,” noting that Russian forces are systematically targeting critical infrastructure, logistics networks, residential housing, and other essential facilities that keep the city functioning.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended the recent wave of strikes, claiming they are carried out in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. This claim comes despite historical records showing that Moscow first launched large-scale strikes targeting Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure early in the full-scale invasion.