Analysis. Russia Is Targeting Kyiv’s Bridges: How Resilient Are They?

Russian forces have been systematically targeting Ukrainian bridges in Kyiv, including the South Bridge and North Bridge. These bridges are crucial to the capital's transport infrastructure, with the South Bridge carrying the "green" metro line and the North Bridge having eight traffic lanes. The recent attacks on bridges have not caused significant damage, only affecting the road surface and causing traffic jams as road crews quickly repaired the damage.

Engineers have stated that destroying bridges with drones is practically impossible, as the load-bearing structures of Kyiv's bridges are reinforced with dozens of tons of concrete. However, Russia has adopted a tactic of "small cuts," where numerous small strikes force bridges to close temporarily for inspection and repairs, creating a cumulative effect.

The main concern lies in the precision of the strikes. If Russian forces can repeatedly hit vulnerable points in a bridge's structure, such as nodes, joints, and tensioned elements, serious problems could arise even if the bridge remains standing. This raises the question of whether Russia could successfully use missiles against the bridges, but experts say that missiles lack the necessary accuracy, and bridges are narrow structures making them difficult to hit.

Russian propaganda has seized on the disruption caused by bridge strikes, with some claiming that the goal is to scatter brains from those attempting to cross the bridges. However, the apparent random pattern of strikes may be more about finding vulnerabilities than a deliberate strategy. Despite the disruption, bridges have not been destroyed or seriously damaged, and the broader risks posed by these attacks lie elsewhere, as Russia may be targeting Kyiv's imbalanced infrastructure to create challenges for the city's commuters and economy.