Ukraine calls for tighter sanctions as Russian attacks spark Kyiv gridlock

Closure of bridges struck by drones in Ukrainian capital causes traffic chaos.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on allies to tighten sanctions against Russia after a wave of strikes triggered gridlock across Kyiv.Traffic chaos gripped the Ukrainian capital on Friday after Russian drone attacks overnight closed key bridges. Zelenskyy called for allies to act to prevent Moscow from sourcing components for its arsenal as Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine face attacks around the clock.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Russia’s Putin rules out ceasefire with Ukraine during speech in Moscowlist 2 of 4Row between Ukraine, South Korea mounts over North Korean POWslist 3 of 4Russia tries to freeze Ukraine as it suffers record casualties and retreatslist 4 of 4UK arrests British-Iranian suspect over RAF ‘plot’: What we knowend of listKyiv’s Southern Bridge and Paton Bridge, key routes for cars and public transport across the Dnipro River, were closed in both directions after the attacks. The Metro Bridge was closed in the direction of Kyiv’s right bank, the city administration said.Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post that Iranian-type Shahed kamikaze drones struck the Southern Bridge “several times”. One person was killed as Russia launched more than 100 drones across the country.The president, who has persistently called for additional help to boost Ukraine’s air defences during Moscow’s concentrated air campaign, noted that supply chains for such weapons trail through Europe, the United States, China and Japan.“No matter how hard Moscow tries to fully localise the production of its drones and missiles, its ability to escalate remains critically dependent on foreign components,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Most of these companies are well-known manufacturers, but their components still make their way to Russia.”“Every Russian drone can actually be stopped right at the production line. What is needed is the political will of these countries,” he continued. “If the Kremlin has chosen more strikes, sanctions must work and must be strengthened.”