How special guidance systems make Iskander missiles more accurate against Ukrainian bridges
Serhii Beskrestnov said Russia may equip Iskander ballistic missiles with special guidance systems to strike Ukrainian bridges more precisely, despite electronic suppression of navigation signals. He said conventional inertial guidance cannot achieve meter-level accuracy, while radar-scanning systems can adjust the missile’s trajectory during the final seconds of flight. The explanation comes as Russian strikes have damaged key transport, power and tram infrastructure in Kyiv.
Key points
- Russia has attacked Ukrainian bridges with Iskander ballistic missiles.
- Serhii Beskrestnov said special guidance systems could improve Iskander accuracy against bridges.
- Conventional inertial guidance cannot provide meter-level accuracy, Beskrestnov said.
- Optical 9E436 or 9B918 guidance systems and more costly radar-guided systems are reportedly used.
- The missile’s locality is scanned for several seconds during its final descent before a guidance correction is applied.
- Russia’s November 7 strike on Kyiv’s Northern Bridge damaged the road surface, tram contact network and power line.
- Zelensky said six ballistic missiles were fired at the Northern Bridge, with four recorded impacts.
Why it matters
The explanation points to a practical way for Russia to increase Iskander accuracy amid electronic suppression of navigation signals. Strikes on Kyiv’s bridges have damaged transport, power and tram infrastructure, prompted full or partial traffic restrictions and caused major disruptions to public transport. Ukraine is therefore considering alternative bridge and river crossings as well as free surface transport to preserve connections across the Dnipro.
What happened
Russia began attacking Kyiv’s Dnipro bridges in October. Ballistic missiles struck the Southern Bridge on the evening of October 26 and overnight into October 27, damaging the bridge and the city’s metro infrastructure. The Northern Bridge was subsequently hit by drones on October 3 and 4 and by ballistic missiles overnight into November 7. The latter attack damaged the road surface, tram contact network and power line, while the blast wave damaged five parked trucks nearby. Traffic over the bridge was completely suspended in both directions, and public transport routes were changed. Zelensky said six ballistic missiles were fired at the Northern Bridge, with four impacts recorded.
Beskrestnov said specially equipped Iskanders could strike bridges more accurately. He explained that radar-guided systems scan the target area for several seconds during the warhead’s final descent and then enter a correction into the guidance system. By contrast, the standard inertial system cannot deliver meter-level accuracy, particularly when navigation signals over Ukraine are suppressed.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focuses on the consequences of the attacks for Kyiv’s transport, energy and metro infrastructure, as well as on electronic suppression, the factors determining Iskander accuracy and the protection of critical infrastructure. Authorities are developing alternative bridge and river crossings, while Zelensky has ordered a free-travel program for Kyiv’s surface public transport. Beskrestnov also says the attacks are intended to impede the movement of people and goods, including military logistics, and intensify economic and social pressure on cities on both banks of the Dnipro.
Where reporting differs
Ukrainian sources differ in how they classify the 9B918 system. Some descriptions identify it as an optical guidance system, while others describe it as a more costly system with radar guidance.
Background
The attacks form part of a broader Russian campaign against Kyiv’s river crossings. Ukraine allocated 1 billion hryvnias for combined river crossings across the Dnipro and access roads. Mykola Kalashnik said in late October that Ukraine intended to build 21 alternative bridge crossings and that construction work had begun in Kyiv. Oleksandr Sergiienko, director of the Institute of the City, analyzed the remaining strength of Kyiv’s bridges, the rationale for traffic restrictions and approaches to preserving connections between the banks during attacks. Intelligence also reported that Russia had equipped the Geran-4 with a new combat unit designed for attacks on bridges.