New threat to bridges: Russian Iskander missiles receive new guidance systems

Russia has upgraded its Iskander ballistic missiles with optical and radar homing heads for more precise strikes on bridges in Ukraine. Moscow seeks to disrupt transport links and divide Ukraine’s energy system into isolated parts.

This is reported by The Telegraph .

According to the publication, the upgraded missiles can adjust the direction of flight in the final section and hit targets more precisely. Advisor to the President of Ukraine Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov said that such guidance systems, which provide accuracy of several meters, were used during recent strikes on bridges in Kyiv.

One Ukrainian official said the Russian plan also involves disrupting the transmission of electricity from west to east, which could lead to power outages for millions of people.

Professor of military strategy and technology Mauro Gilli noted that new guidance systems could help Russia overcome some of the tactical difficulties associated with the use of ballistic missiles.

At the same time, he said, the strikes did not destroy Kyiv’s strong bridges, but they disrupted ferry services and public transport, causing hours-long traffic jams. Attacks on energy infrastructure also left a significant part of the city without electricity, heating, and water.

Maksym Beznosyuk, a research fellow at the GLOBSEC think tank, said that Russia is increasingly attacking bridges, and attempts to divide Ukraine’s energy system along the Dnieper River began back in December 2025.

According to him, the Kremlin seeks to transfer the energy system to a so-called island mode, in which individual parts of the network will operate autonomously and lose the ability to transmit electricity to where it is needed. Such an approach, Beznosyuk explained, is aimed not only at complicating the daily lives of Ukrainians, but also at harming the defense industry and life support systems.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that according to intelligence, Russia is preparing a new strike on energy infrastructure, bridges across the Dnieper, and civilian facilities . The Air Force and Armed Forces of Ukraine are preparing for defense, and partners were reminded of the importance of timely supply of air defense equipment.

By the way, Russia plans to intensify strikes on bridges across the Dnieper in Kyiv in order to disrupt communication between the banks of the capital and paralyze the city in winter.

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