Military reserves may be needed for pontoon crossings over the Dnipro in Kyiv – Defense Express
Kyiv • UNN
Reserve crossings could compensate for up to half of the capacity of Kyiv’s bridges. They require additional military pontoon systems.
To establish reserve pontoon crossings over the Dnipro in Kyiv, additional sets of military engineering equipment may be needed, since the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ existing assets are already being used to support combat operations at the front. At the same time, deploying pontoon-bridge units from the front line could create problems for military logistics, Defense Express reports, citing military engineering specialists, writes UNN.
Details
Against the backdrop of regular Russian attacks that damage bridge infrastructure, the capital is considering the possibility of creating alternative crossings over the Dnipro. The relevant ministry, the Recovery Agency, the military, and the city authorities are planned to be involved in implementing the project. The reserve routes are intended to provide up to half the capacity of Kyiv’s bridges, which are used by up to 600,000 vehicles daily.
According to expert estimates, constructing a single continuous crossing over the Dnipro could require between two and four complete sets of pontoon-bridge equipment, depending on the river’s width and the use of additional earthen embankments. In narrow areas near Kyiv, the Dnipro is approximately 400–600 meters wide.
Will pontoon equipment have to be taken from the front?
A Defense Express source familiar with the work of the military engineering forces said that, before the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had slightly more than 20 battalions equipped with pontoon-bridge sets. Since 2022, these units have been actively providing crossings and logistics support in various areas of the front, while some of the equipment has been lost.
It is likely that, if it really comes to building pontoon bridges across the Dnipro, reserves will have to be found. Pulling PMP sets from the entire front line does not look realistic. The equipment for constructing pontoon crossings is held by the troops and is already carrying out combat missions
Experts identify the purchase or acquisition of additional pontoon-bridge sets from international partners, particularly Poland or France, as one possible solution. At the same time, information about the availability of corresponding reserves in Ukraine is not being disclosed.
Defense Express emphasizes that even if the necessary equipment is available, operating such crossings would require constant military control. Pontoon bridges are more vulnerable to damage than permanent structures, while organizing civilian traffic would require additional security measures and a clear division of responsibility between the military and the capital’s authorities.