Ukraine to build reserve Dnipro crossings in Kyiv as Russian drone strikes target bridges
Ukraine's Ministry of Restoration said it is preparing earthen dams, pontoon crossings and other alternatives to keep Kyiv's two riverbanks connected if Russian drone strikes damage or destroy the capital's bridges across the Dnipro. Minister Mykola Kalashnyk said locations for the reserve crossings have already been identified and that construction of the dams could begin next week, with completion estimated at up to three months.
Key points
- Russian drone strikes on Kyiv's bridges across the Dnipro began in October, suspending traffic on the Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge and prompting restrictions on other crossings
- Minister of Restoration Mykola Kalashnyk said construction of several reserve crossings is planned to begin next week, with locations already identified
- The ministry is considering earthen dams and pontoon crossings as a quick option, alongside rapidly erected concrete structures
- Kalashnyk said the dam structures are designed to provide about half the throughput of the existing bridges, which carry roughly 600,000 vehicles a day between Kyiv's banks
- A longer-term tunnel under the Dnipro is under consideration but is described as dependent on foreign partners and tens of billions of hryvnias in funding
- Coordination has moved from the Kyiv city authorities to the national Ministry of Restoration, the Restoration Agency and the military after a meeting at the president's office
- Deputy Verkhovna Rada committee chair Volodymyr Kreidenko said ferries could in principle run between Slavytych metro station and Poshtova Ploshcha for trucks and passenger vehicles
Why it matters
Russian drone strikes on Kyiv's bridges have already forced partial closures, threatening the movement of roughly 600,000 vehicles a day between the capital's two banks. The ministry's public preparation of backup crossings signals that bridge disruption is now being treated as a likely, recurring scenario rather than a one-off incident. The shift in coordination from the Kyiv city authorities to the national Ministry of Restoration, the Restoration Agency and the military reflects how seriously the government views the threat. Longer-term options, including a tunnel under the Dnipro, are explicitly framed as dependent on foreign partners and tens of billions of hryvnias in funding.
What happened
Ukraine's Ministry of Restoration said it is preparing earthen dams, pontoon crossings and other alternatives to keep Kyiv's two riverbanks connected if Russian drone strikes damage or destroy the city's bridges across the Dnipro. Minister of Restoration Mykola Kalashnyk told Suspilne that construction of several reserve crossings is planned to begin next week, with locations already identified. The earthen dam and pontoon option, which can be built quickly, is the immediate priority, and this work has already begun, according to Kalashnyk; construction could take up to three months, and the structures are designed to provide about half the throughput of the existing bridges, which carry roughly 600,000 vehicles a day.
The ministry is also looking at rapidly erected concrete structures as another near-term option. In the longer term, a tunnel under the Dnipro is under consideration, but Kalashnyk said such projects cost tens of billions of hryvnias, in some cases hundreds of billions, and require foreign partners. Kyiv's existing bridges are already under strain: after Russia began striking them with drones in October, traffic was suspended on the Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge and restrictions were imposed on other crossings.
Kalashnyk said coordination has moved from the Kyiv city authorities, which had not dealt with the issue on their own, to the national Ministry of Restoration, the Restoration Agency and the military, following a meeting at the president's office. He outlined four priorities: preventing hits on bridges, ensuring protection, rapid restoration, and building alternative reserve crossings. Separately, Volodymyr Kreidenko, deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada committee on transport and infrastructure, told Novyny.LIVE that the city has the ability to organize ferry traffic, including between Slavytych metro station and Poshtova Ploshcha, for trucks and passenger vehicles.
Background
In October, Russia began striking Kyiv's bridges across the Dnipro with drones, leading to a suspension of traffic on the Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge and restrictions on other bridges. Construction of the proposed earthen dams could take up to three months and is intended to provide about half the throughput of the existing bridges. Deputy Verkhovna Rada committee chair Volodymyr Kreidenko said ferries could in principle run between Slavytych metro station and Poshtova Ploshcha for trucks and passenger vehicles.