Not long after we published yesterday’s report, Russia began to again strike the South Bridge in Kiev. Yesterday we saw drones that had possibly missed and hit the bridge roadway itself, but today the drones impacted the cable stays, which seemed to be the target:
Recall that Russia is said to be using a new line of Geran-4 drones with special “wire-cutting” cumulative charges. These drones appear to be attempting to hit the suspension cables in order to cut them and force the collapse, or at least the degradation of the structural integrity, of the bridge.
Close up photos show that the cables appear to have been damaged or outright severed in some areas:
Experts please chime in in the comments section: can a suspension bridge of this nature be brought down by damaging or severing enough of the cables? Or would subsequent missile strikes have to “finish off” its structural integrity somehow?
The mood in Kiev immediately turned into grim panic as traffic jams paralyzed the city after the bridge was shut down to car traffic:
Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko was ruffled:
“We’re talking about survival,” Klitschko said at Friday’s defence council meeting with Kyiv’s top military, security, emergencies and police officials.
"They want to destroy our bridges... our data centres, the internet, mobile networks, hospitals, kindergartens, schools, universities - everything. They want people to flee their cities."
Zelensky likewise believes Russia wants Kiev to be abandoned, and has been striking the city 24/7:
Every major Ukrainian outlet has suddenly grown very concerned:
Traffic across Kyiv was brought to a near standstill on Friday morning, Oct. 2, after Russian strikes forced authorities to close or restrict several key bridges across the Dnipro River.
The closures triggered massive traffic jams across the capital, with severe congestion reported in Pechersk, along Dniprovska Embankment, and on routes connecting the two banks. Some Kyiv residents abandoned their vehicles and continued on foot, local media reported.
FT reports on new “deeply disturbing intelligence” claimed to be intercepted from Russia that suggests Putin is taking the gloves off to truly unplug Ukraine like never before this winter:
NYT likewise reports more on this “leaked document”:
The “secret Russian plan” reportedly consists of using up to 1,000 missiles which Russia has been stockpiling—given that Iskanders have not been used much in the past few weeks—to cripple Ukraine’s energy grid:
Mr. Shmyhal, the people said, described the document as an intercepted Russian plan to cause the energy system to collapse through methodical attacks. The plan, a copy of which The New York Times obtained, describes a campaign of strikes using up to 1,000 missiles, drones and bombs. They would target a wide range of facilities, including electrical substations, hydroelectric and thermal power plants, and boiler houses.
They even claim that Russia intends to unplug Ukraine’s nuclear plants:
Most alarming, the document says that Russia intends to force Ukraine’s three operating nuclear plants — the backbone of its power infrastructure — to shut down by firing missiles at the electrical switchyards that connect them to the grid. The switchyards sit less than a mile from the reactors.
The plan allegedly also calls for destroying Ukraine’s water systems, which we had reported rumors of many months ago:
The plan also says that Moscow will target Ukraine’s water system, including pumping stations and wastewater treatment facilities, with dozens of ballistic missiles and glide bombs. Russia has never attacked such sites on a large scale before. Ukrainian officials have privately expressed concern that the country has limited backup plans should it face severe water disruptions.
Some Ukrainian channels are likewise reporting that Putin has officially lifted restrictions on such attacks:
Recall that Ukraine is now facing a budgetary disaster, with a major deficit of funding for both the war and its economy. This winter will require massive investment in infrastructure repair that Ukraine simply will not be able to afford, with the EU now rejecting latest loan deals until Ukraine enacts more “reforms”—a globalist codeword for servitude
But to circle back to the bridge situation, here is one informative analysis from a Russian channel on what the attacks could mean:
It appears that the cables (stays) of the Southern Bridge have been damaged.
Kyiv authorities had just announced that they were preparing to launch metro service across the Southern Bridge. A few hours later, another strike occurred. In a video from Ukrainian channels, a dark cloud is seen directly above the top of the pylon, above the point where the cables are anchored. Damage to the cable stays is visible to the right of the pylon.
The main span, 271 meters long, hangs over the Dnipro River without a single intermediate support. It is supported by steel cables (stays) anchored to a 133-meter-high pylon. There are 72 stays in each of the two planes: half support the span, while the other half act as tensioners, preventing the pylon from tilting towards the river. A single stay can break under a load of approximately 350 tons.
The bridge can withstand the failure of one stay, as the neighboring stays will take up the load, and a safety margin was built in. However, it appears that the upper stays – the longest and most heavily loaded – have been damaged. These stays support the far end of the span, or, if they are tensioners, they hold the pylon itself. This means that the track could theoretically begin to twist, and the neighboring cables would be subjected to loads beyond their design capacity. If the tensioners were damaged, the pylon would be pulled towards the water, the span would sag, and the metro tracks would not tolerate even a slight misalignment.
Now, consider the bridge's original condition. The Southern Bridge was built to handle 80,000 vehicles per day, but it now carries 110,000. Since 2021, it has been officially classified as "limitedly operational" – it is safe to use, but with caution. The stays for the bridge were manufactured abroad during the Soviet era. A new stay cannot be ordered from a catalog; it must be designed, manufactured, delivered, and then replaced at a height of 130 meters, without unloading the neighboring stays.
This process takes months... That is, if nothing interferes.
And another:
What would happen if the cables of the Southern Bridge were cut, and how realistic is it to do so?
Cable-stayed structures are very strong. If several cables break, the load will instantly redistribute to the adjacent cables and to the steel-reinforced concrete beam that supports the roadway. The span will experience a localized sag, the expansion joints will separate, and the movement of heavy vehicles will have to be stopped, but the span will not collapse.
However, if a significant number of connections are severed (for example, 30-40% of the cables on one side), the supporting beam may not be able to withstand its own weight and could break. In theory, this would lead to a section of the span falling into the river and creating a massive bending moment on the pylon itself, which would develop critical structural cracks.
A cable is a bundle of high-strength steel wire, with a diameter of only 10-25 centimeters. From the air, it appears as a thin thread. A missile's optical or radar guidance system simply wouldn't have anything to "lock onto" when targeting such a small object. For this reason, it is likely that drones with "antennae" and, presumably, a new cutting warhead are being used.
If that doesn't work, the only effective way to destroy a cable-stayed span with missiles is not to target the cables themselves in the air, but rather the anchor points where the cables connect to the roadway or the pylon. However, the anchor points on the pylon are integrated into a solid reinforced concrete structure, and it may not be possible to penetrate it with a single missile. It would require multiple, precise hits with heavy penetrating warheads in the same location.
It seems using a procession of cheap Geran drones to snip the cables one by one is not an altogether bad idea, in theory. Share your thoughts below.
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As a final batch of interesting updates, for the past three days Russia has been conducting the Center-2026 military exercises in Chelyabinsk. Hosted by the Central Military District, the exercises included military units of Tajikistan, Mongolia, Belarus, China, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Some astounding sights were seen. Most notable have been videos demonstrating the effectiveness of the Russian Arena-M system on a T-90M tank against different kinds of drones. You’ll recall a month ago we saw hazy battlefield footage of such a T-90M reportedly deflecting a Ukrainian FPV with the new hard-kill system. But now for the first time we have close-ups proving the system’s effectivity.
Here is the T-90M with mine-rollers taking out a larger OWA UAV:
Big news and big proof!
T-90M with Arena-M recorded succesfuly intercepting an FPV drone!
This has happened on Center-26 exercise.
It proves undeniably that Arena-M indeed CAN intercept FPVs, added bonus is that T-90Ms equipped with it are in service.
Another angle:
Next we saw the prototype Sturm assault system. It is an unmanned tank with autoloaders and a shortened barrel, based on a T-72/T-90 chassis built for assault operations. It is controlled by troops sitting in a separate turretless command vehicle somewhere nearby which directs it via radio signal:
Footage of the unmanned STURM assault vehicle in operation during the "Center-2026" exercises at the Chebarkul training ground.
The concept of an unmanned assault tank is interesting, but the prototype shown has several obvious problems. First, controlling the unmanned tank requires a separate manned control vehicle, which is essentially the chassis of another tank, but without a turret. Second, the range and stability of the signal for remote control remain a concern.
The emergence of a stable "Zarya" (Dawn) group could resolve these issues – a separate tank for controlling the main tank might not be necessary due to increased signal range, and the signal itself would become more stable.
The exercises revealed several other never-before-seen systems. Recall the famous Russian LMUR missiles introduced in the SMO, fired by attack copters and controlled directly by the copilot down to their targets.
Now Russia has for the first time unveiled the ground variant of the LMUR, which fires from a truck and like a Spike NLOS missile is able to be precisely directed by an operator:
Ground launched version of the Kh-39 LMUR missile system
The LMUR ground-based launch system , designated Product 347" was demonstrated during the "Center-2026" exercises. Up to now, this was only a helicopter launched missile
The stated range is up to 20 km.It's interesting that the range of the ground launched version increased compared to the air launched version (normally it's the opposite)
🔹The established helicopter missile is a fairly substantial weapon—about 105 kg, carrying roughly a 25-kg warhead, with an air-launched range generally reported around 14.5 km. It uses an electro-optical/thermal-imaging seeker together with a two-way datalink.
🔹Product 347 therefore isn't simply an ordinary Kh-39 bolted onto a truck. The Russian Defence Ministry specifically calls the weapon used by Product 347 a “modified light multipurpose guided missile.”
That modification makes sense because a ground-launched missile loses the altitude and forward velocity supplied by a helicopter.
Yet the reported range actually increases:
— Air-launched LMUR/Product 305: ~14.5 km
— Ground-launched Product 347: officially up to 20 km (some sources say 25km)
➡️ That implies some modification to propulsion, flight profile or missile configuration. Exactly what was changed has not yet been publicly disclosed.
A ground launcher for the new Banderol missile was also reportedly seen:
Other general footage from the exercises that’s worth seeing. It shows the utterly futuristic nature of the current battlefield as demonstrated by Russian forces, which included the showcase of drone swarms:
RUSSIA’S CENTER-2026: DRONES POUR FIRE as ROCKETS STRIKE and ROBOTS JOIN ASSAULT
And for those interested a longer version showcasing both Airborne forces exercises as well as the deployment of robotic airborne vehicles:
In conclusion, we can echo the same words from the previous article: Russia is on the path to evolving the battlefield to the point where maneuvering forces can again break out past the current ‘slow-trickle’ meta of warfare.
In particular, the use of new unmanned tanks is interesting for one major reason: previously, Russian unmanned combat vehicles like the famous Uran-9 used as far back as Syria suffered from major communications issues due to the inability to retain constant radio link to the controller on a chaotic battlefield where a plethora of terrain obstructions are present. But with the advent of Rassvet satellite systems, this issue can be entirely solved as each unmanned vehicle can have its own unbreakable satellite link giving the ability to control it from anywhere, with the “command vehicle” not needing to be anywhere nearby or in the general vicinity.
This coupled with new hard-kill technologies like the Arena-M and better anti-drone cladding as recently complained about by top Ukrainian figures like Azov’s Prokopenko, we could in the future see the resurgence of armor once more. Unmanned tanks controlled by satellite uplinks armed with kinetic hard-kill systems that shoot down drones in batches will make armored pushes viable again.
Of course, one can argue that by then the production of FPVs will be so through the roof that even such systems would not stand a chance by simple sheer saturation. But you need men to operate these systems, and if Ukraine continues to experience mass attrition to its manpower, drone operators could come in shorter and shorter supply.
Either way, the battlefield is clearly changing. Russia is adapting its tactics as seen in the new strikes on Kiev’s bridge—though we have yet to see how effective they will ultimately be.
Ukraine too is preparing a “Manhattan project” for robots, as per ex-Defense Minister Fedorov, who announced that he wants a full assault of robot infantry to be carried out within the next year:
Mykhailo Fedorov told Defense News he wants humanoid-like robots on the battlefield within six months and an assault without infantry within a year.
It hearkens back to Zaluzhny’s dreams of underground-burrowing laser robots to defeat Russia from over two years ago. The problem remains: Ukraine can’t find funds to sustain even the current level of warfare, can it really afford this robotic dream? Some will argue that Europe will bend over backwards and make sure it can be afforded, but at this point that is a rather questionable supposition.
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“Secret Russian plans.” - NY Times
lol
As far as I recall Zelensky started the bridge thing. And now it is an eye for an eye, or a bridge for a bridge.
AI Overview
The Crimean Bridge (also known as the Kerch Strait Bridge) linking Russia and occupied Crimea was severely damaged by a truck bomb on October 8, 2022. Key Details of the Attack
The Incident: A truck exploded while crossing the vehicular section of the 19-kilometer (12-mile) bridge, triggering a massive fire that ignited seven fuel tanker wagons on an adjacent parallel railway train.
Damage: Portions of two vehicular road spans partially collapsed, and the railway line suffered significant heat and structural damage. Casualties: The blast resulted in five deaths, including the driver of the truck and civilians traveling in a nearby passenger car.
Attribution & Responsibility: Russian President Vladimir Putin labeled the blast a "terrorist act" orchestrated by Ukrainian special services. While Ukrainian officials initially stopped short of a formal official claim, Ukrainian intelligence later confirmed responsibility for the operation meant to sever vital Russian military supply logistics.
Aftermath: Russia subsequently conducted sweeping trials, sentencing eight individuals involved in logistics and transport to life imprisonment in late 2025. Repairs were undertaken, restoring partial road and rail traffic over subsequent months.