diff --git a/services/cassandra/backend-deployment.yaml b/services/cassandra/backend-deployment.yaml
index d74d28c55..d6eadecc5 100644
--- a/services/cassandra/backend-deployment.yaml
+++ b/services/cassandra/backend-deployment.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ spec:
       labels:
         app: cassandra-backend
       annotations:
-        cassandra.bstein.dev/redeploy: "2026-07-29-0.8.68-list-metadata-whitelist"
+        cassandra.bstein.dev/redeploy: "2026-07-29-0.8.69-route-choice-direct-load"
         vault.hashicorp.com/agent-inject: "true"
         vault.hashicorp.com/agent-init-first: "true"
         vault.hashicorp.com/agent-pre-populate-only: "true"
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ spec:
           type: RuntimeDefault
       initContainers:
         - name: database-init
-          image: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-backend:0.8.68 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-backend"}
+          image: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-backend:0.8.69 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-backend"}
           imagePullPolicy: Always
           command: ["/bin/sh", "-c"]
           args:
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ spec:
               memory: 512Mi
       containers:
         - name: backend
-          image: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-backend:0.8.68 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-backend"}
+          image: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-backend:0.8.69 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-backend"}
           imagePullPolicy: Always
           command: ["/bin/sh", "-c"]
           args:
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@ spec:
               protocol: TCP
           env:
             - name: CASSANDRA_SIM_IMAGE
-              value: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-sim-worker:0.8.68 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-sim-worker"}
+              value: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-sim-worker:0.8.69 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-sim-worker"}
             - name: CASSANDRA_GENERATOR_WORKER_IMAGE
-              value: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-generator-worker:0.8.68 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-generator-worker"}
+              value: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-generator-worker:0.8.69 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-generator-worker"}
           envFrom:
             - configMapRef:
                 name: cassandra-config
diff --git a/services/cassandra/configmap.yaml b/services/cassandra/configmap.yaml
index a03d78268..35f3df253 100644
--- a/services/cassandra/configmap.yaml
+++ b/services/cassandra/configmap.yaml
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ data:
   CASSANDRA_OIDC_ADMIN_GROUPS: admin
   CASSANDRA_NAMESPACE: cassandra
   CASSANDRA_OWNER_USER_ID_ALIASES: veles-dev=d357688e-e3e4-4f18-9491-a4ed5622deb6;a21a286c-6c82-4180-9243-7c916442ecf0=d357688e-e3e4-4f18-9491-a4ed5622deb6
-  CASSANDRA_SIM_IMAGE: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-sim-worker:0.8.68 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-sim-worker"}
-  CASSANDRA_GENERATOR_WORKER_IMAGE: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-generator-worker:0.8.68 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-generator-worker"}
-  CASSANDRA_SIM_WORKER_VERSION: "0.8.68"
-  CASSANDRA_GENERATOR_WORKER_VERSION: "0.8.68"
+  CASSANDRA_SIM_IMAGE: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-sim-worker:0.8.69 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-sim-worker"}
+  CASSANDRA_GENERATOR_WORKER_IMAGE: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-generator-worker:0.8.69 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-generator-worker"}
+  CASSANDRA_SIM_WORKER_VERSION: "0.8.69"
+  CASSANDRA_GENERATOR_WORKER_VERSION: "0.8.69"
   CASSANDRA_SIM_SERVICE_ACCOUNT: cassandra-sim
   CASSANDRA_GENERATOR_WORKER_SERVICE_ACCOUNT: cassandra-generator
   CASSANDRA_SIM_PRIORITY_CLASS: cassandra-sim
diff --git a/services/cassandra/frontend-deployment.yaml b/services/cassandra/frontend-deployment.yaml
index 91b7e60af..fa4931de1 100644
--- a/services/cassandra/frontend-deployment.yaml
+++ b/services/cassandra/frontend-deployment.yaml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ spec:
           type: RuntimeDefault
       containers:
         - name: frontend
-          image: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-frontend:0.8.68 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-frontend"}
+          image: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-frontend:0.8.69 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-frontend"}
           imagePullPolicy: Always
           ports:
             - name: http
diff --git a/services/cassandra/retention-cronjob.yaml b/services/cassandra/retention-cronjob.yaml
index f1e35276a..f2555025f 100644
--- a/services/cassandra/retention-cronjob.yaml
+++ b/services/cassandra/retention-cronjob.yaml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ spec:
               type: RuntimeDefault
           containers:
             - name: retention
-              image: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-backend:0.8.68 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-backend"}
+              image: registry.bstein.dev/cassandra/cassandra-backend:0.8.69 # {"$imagepolicy": "cassandra:cassandra-backend"}
               imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
               command: ["cassandra-hygiene"]
               args: ["--prune-artifacts"]