A Russian airstrike targeted one of the Pivnychny Bridge's bridge abutments in the middle of Sunday, the same bridge that was also attacked on Saturday. Pictures from the impact site show a large ball of fire among cars traveling between the eastern and western parts of Kiev.
The second Russian attack received particularly great attention as it took place during the unannounced visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Also because the equally important Pivdenny Bridge further south was subjected to five drone attacks on Thursday and Friday.
- It is clear that it is a new strategy. But with that type of drone they use, with an explosive charge of perhaps 40, 50 kilos without penetration capability, the explosive power only goes to the sides, says lieutenant colonel Johan Huovinen, who has passed both bridges countless times.
The relatively low speed of the projectiles also means that those that have been used so far cannot cause any extensive damage, for example larger holes or that parts of the bridge collapse. Superficial damage to the bridge structure's cable-equipped pylons can, however, be sufficiently inhibiting for accessibility, and repeated attacks impair the bridge's load-bearing capacity.
- Above all, it is not possible for cars to pass during the repair work and the subway runs on the southern bridge, which cannot run then. It is the logistics and the movement that are affected, that people in Kiev's eastern sleeping region cannot get to work on the other side of the river, says Johan Huovinen, teacher of military strategy at the Norwegian Defense Academy.
With important parts of the infrastructure blocked off, traffic jams on alternative roads naturally follow. Add to that a large increase in the time of flight alerts in Kiev - from about two hours per day in the spring to about eight now, according to Huovinen, who logs them continuously - which of course affects both the everyday life of individuals and the ability of society to function at large.
- More air alert time means that Ukraine now does not have a proper air defense system to fire these incoming attacks, so people are chased into the shelters and the bridges are closed, and that you cannot get to the new jet-powered drones that fly too high and fast, says Johan Huovinen.
- Russia's previous tactic of hitting more electricity, sewage, gas and water has shifted to other infrastructure to disrupt the social picture and people's movement patterns. It's like more Ukraine's economy you're looking for, and a psychological impact.
The ISW think tank is on the same line in its latest daily report on Russia's war in Ukraine. That the past four days' attacks on Kiev's central bridges are part of a wider Russian campaign to weaken Ukraine's economy and make life difficult for the city's residents, an attempt to force the country into capitulation.
The Russian Foreign Ministry warned foreigners and diplomats on Saturday that Russian forces will continue to attack Kiev and other Ukrainian cities with drones and long-range missiles. The attacks "result in serious disruptions to civilian transport and logistics across the Dnipro River, while Russian forces continue their attempts to physically divide the city of Kiev," ISW writes.
