Russian voices are calling on President Vladimir Putin to target London’s Westminster Bridge as payback for a Ukrainian drone operation that destroyed a Russian-controlled crossing on the Konka River, a tributary of the Dnipro.
Explosive Drone Attack Revealed
Dramatic footage shows the March 2024 blast that crippled the bridge. New details confirm Ukraine’s 426th Unmanned Systems Regiment deployed British-made Malloy T-150 heavy-lift drones for the mission. The unit conducted over 30 operations in 60 days, delivering 1.5 tons of explosives while dodging Russian defenses.
“Bridges are relatively easy to destroy from underneath,” explained Col. Oleksii Bulakhov, commander of the regiment. “But they are engineered in a way that makes them extremely robust from the outside.” Operators lowered a 50kg shaped charge via cable to the bridge’s vulnerable spots, with a missile then detonating the payload in one of the war’s key strikes.
Russian Backlash and Threats
The revelation has sparked fury in Moscow. State media commentator Vladimir Kornilov highlighted British involvement in the sabotage, noting it occurred on territory internationally recognized as Ukrainian despite the invasion.
He declared: “It’s high time we started bragging: ‘Russian missiles destroyed the key Westminster Bridge’. Of course, the Houthis or the Iranians will be the ones doing the hitting!” Kornilov added that British officials seemed thrilled by their role, questioning their reaction if Westminster Bridge—near the Houses of Parliament—faced destruction.
Pro-Kremlin outlet Tsargrad echoed the sentiment: “Isn’t it time to shift the strikes to the decision-making centre after such a candid admission?”
Historical Ties to Westminster
Westminster Bridge has drawn Russian attention before. Photos capture former spy Anna Chapman posing there prior to her 2010 FBI arrest in New York and subsequent loss of UK citizenship.
