New Goals —— Bridges and Decision Center? Russia Adjusts the Priority of Attacks on Ukraine
Ukrainian Government Building Caught Fire, Zelenskyy Needs to Be Prepared
After the Russian Armed Forces launched an attack on the capital of Ukraine, the Ukrainian government building located on Mykhailo Hrushevsky Street in Kyiv caught fire, with the flames lasting for several hours and covering an area of 1,000 square meters. Fire departments have mobilized aircraft to participate in firefighting efforts.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said: "In the Pechersk district, the government building caught fire, apparently due to a downed drone. Firefighters are working on site."
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko noted that this is the first time since the conflict began that the Cabinet building has been damaged. According to her, the building itself, the roof, and upper floors have all suffered damage.
However, at present, there is no need to discuss 'severe damage,' and there were no casualties in the attack. However, as of now, it is not completely clear whether this incident was caused by Russian strikes or an accidental strike by Ukraine's air defense system (ПВО).
Regardless of the cause, Ukrainian media reported that on the night of September 7 (Sunday), the Russian armed forces launched a record-breaking strike on Ukraine, firing a total of 818 drones and missiles. The report stated that this attack involved 805 attack drones and decoy drones, in addition to launching nine "Iskander-K" cruise missiles and four "Iskander-M/KN-23" ballistic missiles toward Ukraine.
Another report indicated that one of the strikes targeted the Klyuchevskiy Bridge in Kremenchuk — this attack was called one of the most unusual attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure in recent times. This bridge connects both banks of the Dnipro River: the right bank has a railway hub and several factories including steel plants and locomotive factories, while the left bank houses the Kremenchuk oil refinery.
Russian experts had earlier argued that such bridges should be targeted. Although such attacks occasionally occur, it seems that a systematic strike has not yet been formed.
Then, how should the strike on the government district be viewed? This topic is controversial, with some experts arguing that such strikes are not militarily necessary.
Military and political expert Vladimir Sapunov analyzed: "From the current situation, this does not appear to be a deliberate strike against the Cabinet building — more likely, it was a drone that was shot down and fell onto the building due to electronic warfare (РЭБ) interference, or even just debris falling. It could also be an accident caused by the operation of Ukraine's air defense system."
"But at least, this is a positive signal, as it is clear that the target was indeed somewhere in the center of Kyiv, possibly a command point or another military target."
"This means that we have the capability to strike this building on Hrushevsky Street, as well as the iconic building of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine. In fact, this should have been done from the very beginning of the special military operation (СВО), including striking the Mariinsky Palace (located on Bankova Street), which houses the presidential office."
"Unfortunately, certain political and diplomatic considerations are hindering the destruction of these buildings — and now these buildings have become symbols of the anti-Bandera regime (a derogatory term used by Russia for the current Ukrainian government). We hope this is just the beginning (more actions will follow)."
That night, another bridge in the Kremenchuk area over the Dnipro River was also attacked. From the footage, it can be judged that the bridge suffered serious damage, but the extent of damage to the bridge pillars and whether it is possible to repair it remains to be further verified.
It should be noted that since the bridge in Cherkasy Oblast and the Preobrazhensky Bridge in Zaporozhye Oblast were attacked, Russia has not carried out any attacks on bridges over the Dnipro River for three years.
This is similar to previous situations — certain considerations hindered the action, and these considerations are difficult to understand and lack reasonableness.
Recently, Israel has attacked government facilities of the Houthis, and we remember that the United States once attacked government buildings in Belgrade, Baghdad, and Tripoli. These actions are not random; they are important military-media tools that must be used.
SP (Free Media) asks: Do you think there are other important targets worth paying attention to within Ukraine?
Vladimir Sapunov answered: "I believe that as the cold season approaches, the severe power outages in Ukraine must ultimately be resolved — more accurately, they should be actively created. It is necessary to strike 750 kV open substations so that Ukraine's electricity supply meets only basic needs, creating a continuous shortage. At the same time, the transmission lines bringing electricity from the EU to Ukraine should be destroyed."
"The previous strike on the Mukachevo substation is an example. Of course, all such facilities should be completely destroyed."
"Strikes on military-industrial enterprises should certainly continue. The previous strike on the Kyiv 'Bayraktar' (Turkish drone brand) maintenance factory was an excellent military-media operation. Additionally, any movement and gathering points of Western instructors and mercenaries should be prioritized as targets — this is the top priority."
"We also need to show the West that any deployment of troops into Ukraine without Russian approval will result in those troops being inevitably destroyed. Clear information should be conveyed through intelligence channels: 'The Willingness Alliance' (referring to a possible Western intervention alliance for Ukraine) troops, once entering Ukraine, will be immediately struck; their planned headquarters in Kyiv will not be an exception either."
"In other words, the targets should cover a broad range: strategic facilities, military-industrial enterprises, administrative buildings, energy facilities, and transportation hubs. By attacking these targets, we can destroy Ukraine's infrastructure, making the country unable to function normally and continue fighting."
"Additionally, the Beskid Tunnel (Бескидский тоннель) is worth noting — it was previously targeted during the initial stages of the special military operation, but for some reason, the strikes stopped afterward. Now it should be completed."
"The strike on the Ukrainian government building, although different from the strike on Bankova Street (the location of the presidential palace), is still a pleasant event," said Alexander Averyin, a former militia member of the Luhansk People's Republic.
"But in my opinion, this hit was quite accidental. This was not a deliberate attack on the 'decision center,' but more likely a change in the trajectory of a missile fired by Ukraine's air defense system, or a result of a downed drone, or even a fragment from Ukraine's own air defense missile hitting by mistake."
"A more symbolic event is the successful hit of the 'Geranium' (a type of Russian suicide drone) on the Dnipro River Bridge in Kremenchuk. We hope this will develop into a strategic campaign to destroy the Dnipro River bridges — this will greatly restrict the enemy's logistics and become an important step towards our victory."
"In the context of Ukraine continuously attacking Russian refineries, the political restrictions on striking Ukraine's infrastructure should be reconsidered in principle."
"If we do not completely deprive Ukraine of its ability to resist and make it surrender, the special military operation is unlikely to end soon. I hope the Russian military-political leadership realizes that this issue cannot be resolved through diplomatic negotiations."
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