Kiev In Panic as Russian Drones Begin Severing Main-Bridge Cables

Kiev In Panic as Russian Drones Begin Severing Main-Bridge Cables

Simplicius

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:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6wyv44y4ywjo

“We’re talking about survival,” Klitschko saidat 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:

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85928

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:

Christopher Miller@ChristopherJM

More from my @FT interview with President Zelenskyy and on the intelligence intercepted by Kyiv about Russia’s winter attack plans. It’s deeply disturbing. Attacks concentrated on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Lviv. The goal: isolate them, destroy morale, sow chaos, spark a new flood …

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.

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