---
title: "Kiev to Launch Temporary Bus Route No. 1M 'Sports Palace — Lesnaya' from September 3 Amid Suspension of Surface Metro"
description: "From September 3, a temporary bus No. 1M will launch in Kiev along the 'Sports Palace — Lesnaya Metro Station' route. The measure is intended to partially compensate for the surface section of the red metro line, which has been suspended due to daily air-raid alerts."
date: 2026-09-02T13:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kiev-launches-temporary-bus-1m-lesnaya-sports-palace
tags: [kyiv-transport, metro, bus-route, air-alerts, kyiv-city]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Kiev to Launch Temporary Bus Route No. 1M 'Sports Palace — Lesnaya' from September 3 Amid Suspension of Surface Metro

![Passengers alighting from a yellow MАЗ tram in Kyiv as temporary bus No. 1M replaces the suspended surface metro from September 3](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/02/kiev-zapuskayut-vremennyi-avtobus-1m-lesnaya-dvorec-sporta/kiev-zapuskayut-vremennyi-avtobus-1m-lesnaya-dvorec-sporta-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- From September 3, 2026, a temporary bus No. 1M 'Sports Palace — Lesnaya Metro Station' will operate in Kiev.
- The route will pass through the city center, the Metro Bridge, and Browarskyi Prospect; 12 buses will be deployed during peak hours.
- The measure was introduced against the backdrop of restricted traffic on the red metro line between 'Akademmistechko' and 'Arsenalna' due to air-raid alerts.
- The Kyiv City State Administration emphasizes the temporary nature of the line: it is not a full replacement for the surface metro section.

From September 3, 2026, a temporary bus route No. 1M will begin operating in Kiev along the 'Sports Palace — Lesnaya Metro Station' direction. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Kyiv City State Administration, which published the decision on its Telegram channel. The launch of the line coincides with a sustained transport crisis in the capital, exacerbated by daily air-raid alerts and the restriction of the surface section of the metro.

### Route Layout and Line Capacity

According to the Kyiv City State Administration (Kyiv City Council administration), route No. 1M will run along the surface section of the red metro line and provide additional connectivity between the right and left banks of the Dnipro. The route will pass through the city center, the Metro Bridge, and Bessarabska Street (Browarskyi Prospect). During peak hours, 12 buses are planned for the line, which should reduce the load on the remaining forms of surface transport and partially relieve the transfer hubs.

### Context: Transport Crisis Due to Air-Raid Alerts

The city administration emphasizes that the launch of the bus is linked to continuous attacks by jet-powered drones: recently, about ten air-raid alerts have been declared daily in Kiev. Due to the threat of strikes, metro traffic on the red line is restricted — trains operate only between 'Akademmistechko' and 'Arsenalna' stations. As a result, a significant portion of passengers on the left bank is effectively deprived of their usual way to reach the right bank, which prompted the introduction of a temporary bus link.

### Temporary Nature of the Measure and Alternatives

The Kyiv City State Administration stresses that route No. 1M is an exclusively temporary and supplementary service and does not constitute a full replacement for the surface section of the metro. Passengers are reminded that the Dnipro can be crossed from one bank to the other using other forms of surface transport that continue to operate. Thus, the new bus is viewed as a support measure rather than a final solution to the problem.

### Systemic Solutions by the Cabinet of Ministers

It is worth noting that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has already proposed several measures aimed at ensuring the city's functionality under conditions of constant alerts. The launch of bus No. 1M fits within this package of measures and is intended to support the mobility of the capital's residents until the normal operation of the surface metro section is restored. Authorities will provide additional information on the duration of its operation and any possible route adjustments.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Metro alternative. Kiev launches a bus from Lesnaya to the Sports Palace](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/alternativa-metro-kievi-zapuskayut-avtobus-1788355350.html) - Первичный источник: заявление КГГА о запуске автобуса № 1М с 3 сентября, маршрут и контекст тревог.
- [Kiev launches a new bus: it will connect the right and left banks](https://kyiv.tsn.ua/ru/kyiv/v-kieve-zapuskayut-novyy-avtobus-on-soedinit-pravyy-i-levyy-berega-3160895.html) - Независимое подтверждение факта запуска линии, соединяющей берега Днепра.
- [FlixBus launches new international routes from Kiev to Wroclaw and Frankfurt](https://ukranews.com/news/1141638-flixbus-zapuskaet-novye-mezhdunarodnye-marshruty-iz-kieva-vo-vrotslav-i-frankfurt) - Подтверждено по источнику ukranews.com
- [Buses operating across the Podilskyi Bridge in Kiev will change their routes. It has become known ...](https://www.obozrevatel.com/zhizn-stolitsyi/v-kieve-budut-menyat-marshrut-avtobusyi-kotoryie-kursiruyut-cherez-podolskij-most-stali-izvestnyi-prichinyi.htm) - Смежный контекст о корректировке автобусных маршрутов в столице; не противоречит основной теме.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: When will bus No. 1M start operating in Kiev?
**A:** From September 3, 2026, as announced by the Kyiv City State Administration.

### Q: What is the route of No. 1M?
**A:** The 'Sports Palace — Lesnaya Metro Station' route will run along the surface section of the red metro line through the city center, the Metro Bridge, and Browarskyi Prospect.

### Q: How many buses will operate during peak hours?
**A:** According to the Kyiv City State Administration, 12 buses will operate on the line during peak hours.

### Q: Is bus No. 1M a full replacement for the metro?
**A:** No. The Kyiv City State Administration stresses that this is a temporary and supplementary service, not a full replacement for the surface section of the metro.

### Q: Why was this route introduced?
**A:** Due to a transport crisis: because of daily air-raid alerts and drone attacks, the red metro line operates only between 'Akademmistechko' and 'Arsenalna', making it difficult to cross between the banks.