Putin Ordered General Surovikin to Destroy Bridges in Kyiv, According to The Telegraph
This winter, Russia may change its war tactics and intensify attacks on Kyiv’s critical infrastructure, particularly the bridges across the Dnipro River. According to the author of the article in The Telegraph, Russian General Sergei Surovikin—nicknamed “General Armageddon”—could be called upon to carry out such a scenario.
The publication analyzes a possible shift in Russian tactics against the backdrop of the Russian army’s difficulties on the front lines.
The author notes that the Kremlin leader may once again resort to tactics that Russia has employed in situations where its army has suffered setbacks on the battlefield. These tactics involve putting pressure on the civilian population and destroying urban infrastructure.
According to the author, General Sergei Surovikin, known by the nickname “General Armageddon,” could be involved in carrying out such a scenario in Kyiv.
It was Surovikin, the author claims, who led Russian operations in Syria, particularly during the destruction of Aleppo, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians.
According to the author, the Russian offensive in the Donbas has been facing serious difficulties for several months now.
Ukrainian forces are putting pressure on Russian troops in the Pokrovsk and Lyman areas, while the Russian army’s losses remain significant.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that more than 10,000 Russian soldiers were killed in just one week. At the same time, the author estimates that Russia’s territorial gains do not justify the price Moscow is paying for its advance.
At the same time, as noted in the article, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Russia to recruit a sufficient number of volunteer contract soldiers to compensate for losses on the front lines.
A new large-scale mobilization, which could involve hundreds of thousands of Russians, is politically risky for the Kremlin.
According to the author of The Telegraph, the Russian leadership needs a dramatic turn of events in the war before it is forced to make decisions that could threaten its hold on power.
“The answer is becoming increasingly clear: if Russia cannot defeat the Ukrainian army, it will try to break the Ukrainians this winter,” the author writes.
He notes that such tactics are not new for Russia. Moscow supported Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, where, according to the author, Russian military personnel witnessed the consequences of attacks on hospitals, schools, and residential areas.
The strategy, as noted in the article, is to kill, maim, and intimidate the civilian population, forcing people to demand that the government end the war.
The author believes that this strategy did not yield the expected results in Syria and is unlikely to work in Ukraine either.
The author devotes particular attention to possible strikes on Kyiv.
An analysis by The Telegraph based on ACLED data shows that the proportion of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital among all attacks on the country’s territory is increasing. The article uses data through August 31, 2026.
The author identifies seven bridges across the Dnipro River as potentially obvious targets for Russian strikes.
Kyiv is a major hub for road and rail transportation. Therefore, as the author notes, damage to or destruction of these bridges could severely disrupt transportation links and affect the functioning of a significant portion of northern Ukraine.
For comparison, he suggests imagining a situation in which all bridges in London were destroyed, particularly those connected to the M25 ring road. The entire southeastern region of England would feel the consequences of such a scenario.
“This is not the behavior of someone preparing to end his war. It is the behavior of a dictator preparing his population for a longer one,” the author writes.
The author cites the shortage of ammunition for Ukraine’s air defense as another risk factor.
According to him, the problem with powerful interceptor missiles—particularly the American Patriot missiles—is particularly acute.
Moscow, the author asserts, is aware of the limited stockpiles of such missiles. Therefore, Russia may increasingly target not only military facilities but also the infrastructure on which the functioning of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities depends.
The author notes that Russia is banking on a protracted war and the exhaustion of Ukraine.
Russia has a significantly larger population than Ukraine, and its economy has gradually been shifted to a war footing.
According to the author’s assessment, Vladimir Putin is prepared to continue sacrificing Russian troops, counting on Russia’s ability to withstand losses longer than Ukraine—Russian strikes, and Western governments will be able to withstand the political and financial pressure associated with continued support for Kyiv.
“The question is not just whether Ukraine will hold on to Pokrovsk or Lyman. The question is whether Britain and Europe will have enough political resolve for Ukraine to hold out next year and the year after that,” the author emphasizes.
This is reported by The Telegraph.
Russia’s plan to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure called for completely cutting off Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa from electricity, heat, and water supplies. An intercepted document lists 60 key targets, including energy facilities, water supply systems, and municipal infrastructure.
Energy infrastructure became one of the main targets of Russia’s massive nighttime strike on Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated. According to him, Russia launched 70 missiles, a significant portion of which were ballistic.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a drone attacked one of the energy company’s facilities located in a frontline area. Since the beginning of September, this facility has been targeted by a drone for the ninth time.
