---
title: "How Iskander Missiles Strike Kyiv's Bridges Amid Complete GPS Jamming: Guidance Mechanisms Explained"
description: "Defense technology adviser Sergei \"Flash\" Beskrestnov explained that Iskanders use optical and radar guidance seekers to strike Kyiv's bridges with complete GPS jamming. On the night of November 7, the North Bridge was hit."
date: 2026-11-09T06:51:43.671Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/iskander-kyiv-bridges-gps-jamming
tags: [iskander-missile, ukraine-war, kyiv-bridges, gps-jamming, radar-guidance, infrastructure]
author: "Alexander Buran, Andrey Kosynko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# How Iskander Missiles Strike Kyiv's Bridges Amid Complete GPS Jamming: Guidance Mechanisms Explained

## Key Points

- Under GPS jamming over Ukraine, Iskanders use additional guidance systems—9E436 optical and 9B918 radar seekers—for precise target destruction
- In the final trajectory phase, the missile scans the terrain with radar equipment and adjusts flight before impact
- On the night of November 7, 2026, several ballistic missiles hit the North Bridge in Kyiv; earlier, on October 27, a similar attack targeted the South Bridge
- Minister Mykola Kalashnik announced the start of construction for additional Dnipro crossings, with commissioning scheduled for early 2027

During air raids across Ukraine, satellite navigation is jammed, making it impossible for Iskander ballistic missiles to hit targets with meter-level precision using standard inertial guidance systems. Nevertheless, Russian military forces continue to launch precision strikes against selected infrastructure facilities. Sergei "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser on the development of defense technology areas, explained in his Telegram channel—cited by RBC-Ukraine—that to ensure high accuracy, Iskander missiles use additional guidance systems that allow trajectory correction in the final phase of flight.

### Optical and Radar Seekers: How the Missile "Sees" the Target

According to Beskrestnov, the Russian forces striking Ukrainian territory use 9E436 and 9B918 optical guidance heads, as well as more expensive radar-guided variants, specifically the 9B918. The radar system operates as follows: during the warhead descent phase, the missile scans the terrain using radar equipment for several seconds. The acquired data is transmitted to the guidance system, which generates a correction and adjusts the flight trajectory immediately before impact. It is this mechanism that enables the Iskander to hit specific objects—bridges and communication hubs—even in the complete absence of a satellite signal.

### Wave of Strikes on Kyiv's Bridges: Chronology of Recent Attacks

In recent weeks, the Russian military has intensified attacks on bridge structures, primarily in Kyiv. The South Bridge, connecting the right and left banks of the Dnipro River, has repeatedly been targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles and subsequently by ballistic missiles. One of the most high-profile attacks occurred on October 27: according to RBC-Ukraine, several ballistic missiles hit the crossing. On the night of November 7, the North Bridge came under fire. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that several ballistic missiles struck the crossing, resulting in damage to the road surface, the trolleybus overhead contact network, and power transmission lines. Strikes on bridges have a direct impact on transport communication between the banks of the Dnipro and the operation of urban infrastructure.

### Searching for Alternatives: New Crossings Across the Dnipro

The consequences of the series of attacks forced Kyiv authorities to seek not only ways to swiftly repair damaged facilities but also alternative routes for crossing the Dnipro. Ukraine's Minister of Restoration, Infrastructure, and Transport Mykola Kalashnik announced on October 30 that construction of additional crossings has already begun. According to him, the first new bridges are scheduled to be put into operation in early 2027. Thus, even with the ongoing threat of repeated precision strikes against existing crossings, the city gains the ability to diversify transport flows and reduce the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.

### Context: Why Guidance Accuracy Has Become a Key Factor

The use of additional guidance systems on Iskander ballistic missiles indicates that the Russian military is purposefully adapting strike tactics to electronic warfare conditions. While standard inertial navigation under GPS jamming conditions ensures only a rough hit in the target area, optical and radar seekers reduce the error to minimal values. For objects with clearly defined coordinates and characteristic radar or optical "signatures"—such as bridges, overpasses, and energy infrastructure nodes—this makes them virtually vulnerable even under complete shielding of the satellite signal. Beskrestnov's expert explanation emphasizes that combating the threat of precision strikes requires not only the development of air defense and electronic warfare systems, but also infrastructure diversification to minimize consequences even in the event of a successful missile hit.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Почему "Искандеры" РФ попадают в мосты даже во время работы РЭБ, - объяснение "Флеша"](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/chomu-iskanderi-rf-vluchayut-mosti-navit-1794206849.html) - Primary source. Facts about attacks on bridges are confirmed by a statement from Mayor Klitschko. Technical details about guidance systems (9E436, 9B918) are provided from a single expert source (Beskrestnov's Telegram channel); cross-verification with secondary technical sources was not conducted within this check.

## FAQ

### Why can the Iskander hit targets accurately during GPS jamming?

Iskander missiles use additional guidance systems—9E436 optical and 9B918 radar seekers. During the warhead descent phase, the missile scans the terrain and adjusts its trajectory, allowing it to hit the target with high accuracy even without a satellite signal.

### Which bridges in Kyiv were hit in October–November 2026?

On October 27, several ballistic missiles hit the South Bridge. On the night of November 7, a similar attack targeted the North Bridge; according to Mayor Klitschko, the road surface, trolleybus overhead network, and power lines were damaged.

### When is the commissioning of new Dnipro crossings planned?

Minister of Restoration, Infrastructure, and Transport Mykola Kalashnik reported on October 30 that construction of additional crossings has already begun, and the first of them should become operational in early 2027.