Zelensky Warns of Fresh Russian Strikes on Bridges, Energy Grid

Russia is preparing a fresh attack on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure, including bridges across the Dnipro River, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday, Nov. 6, citing intelligence reports. Ukraine’s Air Force and Armed Forces are preparing their defenses, Zelensky said in a statement, acknowledging the difficulty of the task.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “We need interceptor missiles for our Patriots,” Zelensky said. “Every agreement matters, and every day counts when it comes to deliveries. We’re asking our partners very strongly: please don’t put off deliveries.” Ukrainian citizens were urged to heed air raid alerts amid the threat of missile strikes. Bridges, energy grid under repeated fire Since Oct. 1, Russian drones have repeatedly hit Kyiv’s South (Pivdennyi) Bridge, a major transport crossing connecting the capital’s eastern and western banks of the Dnipro River, and later the North Bridge. On Oct. 2, bridge closures and restrictions caused major traffic jams and prompted some commuters to abandon vehicles and continue on foot. On Oct. 27, Russian forces struck the South (Pivdennyi) Bridge again, prompting traffic closures. According to Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Major Artem Bilyk, Russia is using a “small cuts” approach, with repeated strikes that force bridges to close for inspections and repairs rather than destroy them outright. Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin that Russian forces began specifically targeting strategic bridges, railway infrastructure, and data centers across Ukraine on Oct. 16, publicly acknowledging Russia’s campaign for the first time. Other Topics of Interest Prosecutors Seek $2.2M Bail for SBU General in NABU Case Prosecutors seek detention for SBU general Serhiy Duka as NABU confirms searching Kyiv regional police chief Andriy Rubel’s home. Around the same time, Zelensky said that Putin had ordered his military commanders to abandon previous constraints on aerial attacks and intensify strikes on civilian sites. Meanwhile, overnight on Nov. 2-3, Russia launched what state grid operator Ukrenergo called one of the largest attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector, targeting facilities more than 20 times in 24 hours. The strikes knocked three DTEK thermal power plants offline and forced emergency blackouts in Kyiv, the Kyiv region and the Dnipropetrovsk region. In the days that followed, outages in the capital halted tram and trolleybus services, and on Thursday, Nov. 5, water supply failed again across all of Kyiv’s districts. Separately on Friday, a strike on an energy facility in Zhytomyr further strained Kyiv’s power supply and reduced water pressure in the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said on Wednesday, Nov. 4 that Russia was launching 300 to 400 drones a day at Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, with more than 2,000 strikes recorded since August. Ukraine’s long-range strikes to continue In a separate statement on Friday, Zelensky said Kyiv would keep striking Russian oil refineries in retaliation for Moscow’s attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, heating and water supply systems. “The Russians are not changing the nature of their aggressive activity,” he said, adding that “they have refused to take de-escalation steps, as discussed with our partners, and they are counting on further attacks.” Zelensky pointed to the recent humanitarian operation in Russian-occupied Oleshky, where a US-brokered ceasefire was held from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1. He said it showed that a period of calm is possible if Putin decides to stop the war. “It is necessary for Russia to decide that the time for war is over,” he said. According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s long-range strikes, its mid-range attacks and pressure from partners are what will push Russia toward real negotiations. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed the same message earlier on Friday, speaking during a joint press conference in Warsaw alongside EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. “We will continue our long-range campaign to bring the war back to Russian territory. The further Ukraine is capable of striking, the closer we are to the end of the war,” Sybiha said. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Oct. 21 that Putin is not considering an energy ceasefire with Ukraine, claiming Moscow wants a broader peace settlement instead. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.