This winter, the leadership of the Russian Federation may radically change its combat tactics in Ukraine, shifting its focus to the destruction of the capital's critical transport infrastructure. According to analytical reports by the British newspaper The Telegraph, General Sergey Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon" and known for overseeing brutal bombings in Syrian cities, has been brought in to execute these plans.
The Kremlin's New Tactics and the Syrian Experience
Western experts believe that the Kremlin regime is once again resorting to a proven terrorist strategy of intimidating the civilian population and destroying major urban settlements as its regular army faces severe setbacks on the battlefield. The Russian offensive in Donbas has been stalling for months, Ukrainian forces are successfully holding back pressure around Pokrovsk and Lyman, and personnel losses remain staggering. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized the enormous scale of Russian army losses, forcing Moscow to seek alternative pressure scenarios.
The Threat to Kyiv's Bridges and Transport Blockade
The publication's analysts point to ACLED data up to the end of August 2026, showing that the share of drone and missile strikes on Kyiv is steadily increasing. The primary targets of this new campaign could be seven bridges across the Dnipro River. Such an attack could paralyze the capital's road and rail communications, cutting the city in half and disrupting logistics across northern Ukraine. Transport planning experts, in particular Dmytro Bespalov, note that while completely destroying massive capital bridges is extremely difficult, even partial damage could cause a collapse and sow panic among civilians.
Contradictory Data
While the Western press and British analysts are sounding the alarm about the potential use of heavy weaponry to destroy the capital's bridges, Ukrainian transport experts assess the technical risks more cautiously. Some specialists suggest that the strikes may aim not so much at the physical destruction of the structures, but rather at psychological pressure and the temporary paralysis of transport arteries through pinpoint hits. At the same time, it is noted that pontoon crossings in a megacity cannot replace stationary bridges, leaving air defense and electronic warfare systems as the key defense.
Air Defense Deficit and Strategic Bet on Attrition
Ukraine's primary vulnerability remains the acute shortage of modern air defense systems and interceptor missiles, such as the American-made Patriot. Moscow is well aware of these issues and is banking on the exhaustion of Ukraine's economy and population, as well as the fatigue of Western partners from the protracted conflict. The bet is that systematic winter strikes on critical infrastructure will force Ukrainians and their allies to make concessions, though experts agree that this strategy, much like in Syria, will not deliver the desired strategic breakthrough for the Kremlin.
