Officials said the 6,000-ton Seagrand vessel hit the side of the Gwangan Bridge in Busan, South Korea, before turning around and going the opposite direction.
The Coast Guard was able to stop the ship and question the crew.
They found the Russian captain had a blood alcohol content of 0.086 percent, while the legal limit is 0.03 percent.
There were no injuries reported, but both the Seagrand ship and the lower level of the Gwangan Bridge were damaged by the impact.
The vessel also hit a cruise ship moored at the same port about 40 minutes before crashing into the bridge.
