Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
Russian drones struck Kyiv’s Southern Bridge repeatedly over the last 24 hours, damaging parts of the structure and ultimately forcing the complete closure of the key Dnipro crossing as Ukrainian authorities diverted traffic to other bridges.
The first two impacts came around midday on October 1 near a support structure while vehicles and a metro train were crossing. An initial inspection found no critical structural damage, and ground public transport resumed several hours later.
Later in the evening, another drone struck the bridge, this time hitting the roadway. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the impact damaged a support, a crash barrier, the road surface and the protective concrete barrier around the metro tracks. Metro traffic was suspended and the tracks were de-energized while emergency crews assessed the damage.
A further strike hit the bridge early on October 2, according to Kyiv’s city administration. By morning, the Southern Bridge was closed in both directions, while movement was restricted on the Metro Bridge and the Paton Bridge. Several bus and trolleybus routes were rerouted over the Darnytskyi and Podilskyi bridges.
Russian footage released by the 50th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, known as Varyag, showed a drone approaching the bridge and striking its structure. Russian military channels identified the one-way attack drone as a jet-powered Geran-4 Seeker.
The Geran-4 Seeker is reported to be capable of speeds exceeding 500 kilometers per hour and a range of more than 850 kilometers. It is also equipped with an artificial intelligence-powered optical targeting system.
Ukraine subsequently deployed a German-made Gepard self-propelled air defense gun to the bridge, in an attempt to protect the crossing against further drone attacks.
Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
The strikes also followed a report on September 30 by Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov that Russian forces had used a new “cumulative-cutting” payload on a jet-powered drone. Beskrestnov said the new warhead was specifically designed to destroy high-voltage transmission towers and steel bridge structures and consisted of a 40-kilogram main charge and four additional strike modules.
The latest strikes mark the first sustained Russian drone campaign against one of Kyiv’s major Dnipro crossings since the start of the special military operation. The strikes also highlight growing Russian drone capabilities and the degradation of Ukrainian air defenses.
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