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Kiev authorities are continuing efforts to protect bridges across the Dnieper River from potential attacks by Russian Geran drones. According to Ukrainian media reports, protective netting has now been installed on the Southern Bridge, following similar measures previously introduced on the Northern Bridge.
However, the effectiveness of these defenses has already come under scrutiny, with Ukrainian Telegram users questioning whether the barriers could withstand an actual drone strike.
Photographs circulating online show that the protective structure consists of individual sections of netting joined together and attached to streetlight poles along the bridge. The design has raised particular concerns about its ability to withstand impacts from jet-powered drone variants used by the Russian Armed Forces.
As reported by Voyennoye Obozreniye (Military Review), bridges spanning the Dnieper play a crucial role in maintaining transport connections between Kiev’s left and right banks. These crossings are also used for military transportation.
The Northern and Southern bridges, the Paton Bridge and railway crossings carry the bulk of this traffic. Other structures, including the Darnitsky Combined Bridge, Podolsky Bridge, Gavansky Bridge and metro bridges, serve as additional routes that could become essential in an emergency.
Military Review also examines the strategic importance of these crossings in a potential attempt to sever transport links between the two halves of Kiev.
According to the publication’s analysis, cutting off the left bank from the right would involve disabling the main bridges before targeting secondary crossings. The outlet further argues that pontoon bridges potentially established by Ukrainian authorities and military forces across the Dnieper would become targets once the permanent crossings were rendered unusable.