Ukraine plans pontoon bridges in Kyiv after Russian strikes damage Dnipro river crossings

Consecutive strikes hit Dnipro crossings

Russian air attacks struck two primary bridges in Kyiv on consecutive days, disrupting key transit links between the left and right banks of the Dnipro River. On Saturday morning, a strike targeted the North Bridge, the second-largest bridge in the capital. The attack injured two people, damaged the road surface, and severed overhead trolleybus traction wires, forcing municipal authorities to temporarily suspend traffic. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that the incident followed drone strikes on Friday against the South Bridge, which caused no casualties but forced the shutdown of metro trains on one of the network's three lines. Friday's strike was the second hit on the South Bridge in two days. Russian authorities confirmed drone strikes on both bridges, stating they served as transit routes for Ukrainian troops and military hardware.

Emergency pontoon bridges and transit measures

To counter the disruption, Ukrainian authorities began preparations for emergency crossings across the Dnipro. Kyiv has nine road, rail, and pedestrian bridges crossing the river, carrying approximately 600,000 vehicles every day. Minister of Reconstruction, Infrastructure, and Transport Mykola Kalashnyk stated that construction teams will begin erecting river embankments and pontoon bridges next week. The timeline and operational tasks were established during a coordination meeting led by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Kalashnyk described the immediate construction plans in an interview with public broadcaster Suspilne.

Urgent solutions are the construction of riverbank fortifications and a pontoon crossing. Work has already started. A meeting on this matter with the president has also already taken place.

Building the alternative crossings could take up to three months, with the goal of restoring at least half of the traffic capacity provided by the permanent bridges. Ukrainian authorities have already identified specific construction sites along the river. In parallel, lawmakers are examining additional measures to keep commuters moving, including ferry connections, expanded bus fleets, and restrictions on private passenger cars.

Traffic restrictions and long-term alternatives

The attacks resulted in immediate traffic disruptions throughout Kyiv. Authorities closed the South Bridge in both directions and imposed strict transit restrictions on four other river crossings: the Paton Bridge, the Metro Bridge, the Darnytskyi Bridge, and the Podilskyi Bridge. Priority remains on reinforcing existing structures and strengthening local air defense systems to prevent further damage. The infrastructure ministry also confirmed that similar emergency crossing preparations are planned for other Ukrainian cities with river crossings. For longer-term transit, the government is considering precast concrete structures as well as a tunnel under the Dnipro River. Such a tunnel would require an estimated investment of 1 billion hryvnias and substantial financial support from international partners.

Diplomatic warnings and ongoing air campaign

The strikes coincided with renewed warnings from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructing foreign diplomats and foreign nationals to evacuate Kyiv. Russian officials declared that staying in the city presents mortal danger and warned that aerial bombardments will continue in the coming days. The strikes on transport infrastructure are part of an intensified campaign of missile and drone attacks across the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia is deliberately targeting civilian areas, while the Kremlin continues to deny striking non-military targets.