Surovikin is back, shelling Kyiv's bridges

Vladimir Putin may have put General Sergei Surovikin in charge of directing the attacks on Kyiv's bridges, British military expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon claimed in an article published in the Telegraph, which several Ukrainian- and Russian-language outlets reported on on October 8. Surovikin, known as “General Armageddon”, previously directed Russian operations in Ukraine, including attacks on energy infrastructure.

According to an opinion piece cited by Novaya Gazeta Europe, the destruction of the bridges linking the two banks of the Dnipro would serve to paralyze the capital's transport and supplies, as pressure on Ukraine's infrastructure intensifies with the approach of winter. Reuters also reported on the series of attacks on the bridges: in early October, traffic on several crossings had to be partially or fully suspended following Russian strikes. However, conflicting reports have emerged about Surovikin's new assignment, since according to one source cited by Ostorozhno Media, the general is currently on leave in Moscow and continues to serve in Africa. Novaya Gazeta Europe also reported this version, so alongside the actual attacks on the bridges, there are for now contradictory accounts of the general's personal role.

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