In addition to the sunken ships, Russia has also employed defenses like smoke generators, presumably to make targeting more difficult, though the effectiveness of this as a defense is questionable.

Six fire crews arrived on site at 5:04 p.m. Upon arrival they figured out the culprit behind the smoke. "It was a backup generator that was being used that was making smoke," Anderson said.

Other measures to protect the bridge include smoke screen generators. These were tested on 24 May 2023, and on 12 August, they were used to cover the bridge.