Beskrestnov: Ferry and pontoon crossings cannot fully replace Kyiv's bridges if Russia destroys all crossings
Serhii Beskrestnov, a presidential adviser on defence technology, said on 15 November that ferry and pontoon crossings across the Dnieper would be destroyed as well if Russia wipes out all of Kyiv's bridges, and that their capacity depends on exposed piers and access roads vulnerable to Shaheds and missiles. Ukrainian officials presented alternative crossings and a proposed Dnieper tunnel as longer-term options, while Russian strikes on Kyiv's bridges in October forced closures, changed public transport routes and triggered a transport collapse.
Key points
- Russia began attacking Kyiv's Dnieper bridges in October, causing closures, traffic restrictions and a transport collapse
- A missile attack overnight on 7 November damaged the Northern Bridge's road surface and power line; traffic was closed in both directions and public transport routes changed
- Zelensky said Russia fired six ballistic missiles at the Northern Bridge, with four hits recorded
- On 6 November a second lane opened on the Southern Bridge in the left-bank-to-right-bank direction; the opposite direction remains limited to one lane
- Infrastructure Minister Mykola Kalashnik said Ukraine plans 21 alternative bridge crossings, with construction work already under way in Kyiv
- Eight crossings are to duplicate existing Kyiv bridges, with two due to open by the end of February; together they should carry 30–40% of the current bridge traffic
- Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said Kyiv will allocate 1 billion hryvnia for combined crossings
Why it matters
Strikes on Kyiv's Dnieper bridges have closed crossings, forced changes to public transport routes and contributed to a transport collapse in the capital. Ferries and pontoon crossings can support emergency delivery of important cargo, but their capacity is limited and their access infrastructure is exposed. Alternative crossings are already being built in Kyiv, and a Dnieper tunnel has been presented as both a military and a civilian transport option requiring foreign investment and several years of construction. The assessment also underlines how much the protection of critical transport infrastructure depends on air defence and rocket and artillery defence.
What happened
Russia began attacking Kyiv's Dnieper bridges in October, causing closures, traffic restrictions and a transport collapse, with public transport running on new routes and delays. Unmanned drones struck the Northern Bridge on 3 and 4 October. Overnight on 7 November, Russia attacked the Northern Bridge with missiles, damaging its road surface and power line; traffic was then closed in both directions and Kyiv changed its public transport routes. Zelensky said six ballistic missiles were fired at the bridge, with four hits recorded. On 6 November, a second lane opened on the Southern Bridge in the direction from the left bank to the right bank, while traffic in the opposite direction remains limited to one lane. The Southern Bridge also took several Russian strikes in October.
On 15 November, presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov said that if Russia destroys all Kyiv crossings, ferry and pontoon crossings would be destroyed too and could not fully replace the bridges. He described a ferry crossing at Kyiv's scale as an emergency-only solution for moving important cargo, with effectively zero capacity because it depends on piers and access roads vulnerable to Shaheds and missiles. A pontoon crossing needs access roads and interchanges and can help in a critical situation, but a single Shahed could put it out of action. Beskrestnov said Kyiv needs a tunnel under the Dnieper not only as a military object but for civilian needs too, estimated that building it with foreign support would take several years, and noted that the tunnel costs tens of billions of hryvnia, meaning it is only feasible with foreign investors. He also said he does not understand why bridges and crossings receive so much media attention, and called for thanking the Armed Forces and strengthening air defence and rocket and artillery defence.
Infrastructure and Restoration Minister Mykola Kalashnik said Ukraine plans 21 alternative bridge crossings, with construction work already under way in Kyiv. Eight of them are to duplicate existing Kyiv bridges, with two due to be launched by the end of February, and together all eight are expected to carry 30–40% of the traffic of the bridges currently operating. Earlier in October he described reserve pontoon crossings with embankment dams, which he estimates can be built in three months and would provide half the capacity of Kyiv's present bridges. Kyiv mayor Vitalii Klitschko announced that the city will allocate 1 billion hryvnia for combined crossings.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage focuses on the vulnerability of ferry and pontoon infrastructure — exposed piers, access roads and interchanges — and on the ability of a single Shahed to disrupt a pontoon crossing. Alternative crossings, a Dnieper tunnel, municipal funding and stronger air and missile defences are presented as the response to the risk of bridge destruction, with officials speaking about the tunnel's military and civilian functions and about the need for foreign financing and several years of construction.
Background
Russia began attacking Kyiv's Dnieper bridges in October. A missile attack on the Northern Bridge damaged its road surface and power line, after which traffic was closed in both directions and public transport routes changed. A second lane opened on the Southern Bridge in the direction from the left bank to the right bank, while movement in the opposite direction remained limited to one lane. Ukraine planned 21 alternative bridge crossings, with construction work already under way in Kyiv. Kyiv announced 1 billion hryvnia for combined crossings, and a Dnieper tunnel was described as costing tens of billions of hryvnia and requiring foreign investors.