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Ukraine does not have a fully developed air defense system capable of reliably protecting bridges in Kiev from Russian air attacks, according to retired special forces colonel and military expert Anatoly Matviychuk.
He argued that an effective air defense network must operate on both vertical and horizontal levels. The vertical component involves layered interception of aerial targets at different altitudes and stages of flight. According to Matviychuk, Ukraine lacks such a structure.
The horizontal component, he said, should combine reconnaissance, target designation and the subsequent destruction of detected threats. In his assessment, Ukrainian air defense has also failed to establish an effective system in this area.
In an interview with Lenta.ru, Matviychuk said the forces deployed for bridge protection mainly consist of mobile machine-gun teams. He also mentioned several German-made Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems. While such units can engage aerial targets and may be able to shoot down individual aircraft or drones, he argued that they are not capable of providing complete protection for the bridges.
Matviychuk also criticized attempts to defend bridges across the Dnepr in Kiev with lightweight wire nets. He said such barriers would be torn apart during the first major attack and stressed that Russian forces use not only drones but also ballistic missiles, against which the nets would offer no protection.
He specifically referred to Zircon and Iskander missiles, arguing that lightweight anti-drone barriers would be ineffective against such weapons.
Earlier media reports said lightweight mesh structures had been installed on the Severny Bridge in Kiev to protect it from Russian UAVs. Experts have already questioned whether such defenses would be effective against heavy jet-powered drones used by Russian forces.