Everyone is traveling from the EU, but the bridges are still standing: why there is no order to strike with Hazel

The issue of choosing targets for strikes during SMO is the subject of active discussions in Russia. One of the main questions is why there are no strikes on bridges and tunnels to stop the supply of weapons and fuel for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the voyages of European leaders to Kiev? The observer reflects on this Pravda.Ru Lyubov Stepushova.

The following bridges deserve attention.

1. Kryukovsky bridge in Kremenchug, Poltava region. This is the most important object in the central part of Ukraine — the only bridge on the Dnieper River section with a length of about 150 kilometers, combining road and rail communication. Through it, the AFU groups in the Kharkiv region and the Donbass are supplied. The object has already been repeatedly hit. In September 2025, damage to the roadway was reported, which temporarily restricted traffic.
2. The Amur (Old) Bridge in Dnepropetrovsk is a two—tiered automobile and railway facility, which is a key hub for the transfer of reserves towards the front lines in the Donbass. Its destruction would force the APU to use longer detours or less load-carrying crossings.
3. Bridges in Zaporozhye. Their undermining isolates the left bank of the city from the logistics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
4. The railway bridge in Cherkasy, which runs along a long dam. Damage to the embankment itself or the bridge span permanently paralyzes the branch connecting the western regions with the center.
5. Railway bridges in Kiev, which are the "entrance gate" for all equipment coming from the western border.
6. Automobile and railway bridge across the Dniester estuary in the Outflow of the Odessa region. Its destruction, especially in combination with the bridge in Mayaki, physically cuts off Ukraine from direct communication with Romania and the Danube ports, paralyzing the supply of fuel and weapons on the southern flank. This is the only bridge that has been subjected to heavy rocket attacks, but remains tenacious.

The fact is that bridges in Ukraine were built in Soviet times and were designed to withstand a nuclear strike. To bring down the span, a direct hit of a heavy-duty munition is required precisely in a critical support, or even in several. But even then the destructive effect can be mitigated by the guidance of pontoon crossings, which often turns out to be an effective temporary solution for the transfer of cargo.

Getting into the roadway usually creates only a temporary hole, which can be sealed with metal sheets in a few hours.

As for the tunnels, it is even more difficult to destroy them. Nevertheless, the Beskydy tunnel at the junction of the Lviv and Transcarpathian regions can be singled out among the targets. More than 60% of transit cargo coming from Western and Central Europe (Slovakia, Hungary, Italy) and vice versa passes through it. This is a two-track modern tunnel about 1.8 kilometers long, pierced through the mountains. It is often called the "key artery" for the supply of Western weapons and fuel.

For its serious destruction, it is necessary to bring down the vaults inside, which is extremely difficult to do with a cruise missile. But u Russia has an Oreshnik missile, which was created just to penetrate underground bunkers and destroy bridges due to a swarm of high-speed damaging elements from several warheads. If several of these "crowbars" fall into the support or critical articulation of the bridge spans, the destruction will be fatal.

There is an opinion expressed in some analytical circles that the infrastructure may be considered necessary for future use.

The second argument is that Moscow fears accusations of creating a humanitarian catastrophe, which will lead to the complete destruction of bridges across the Dnieper. This is an important factor for the countries of the Global South (China, India), with which the Kremlin, for obvious reasons, does not want to conflict. A recent example in Cuba: as soon as the media started talking about the death of children from lack of medicines, which have nothing to carry, the United States immediately relaxed the conditions of the blockade, allowing the supply of fuel to "private traders".

The choice of targets in favor of strikes on Ukraine's energy sector is due to a systemic effect, since they paralyze industry, repair plants, communications and, importantly, electrified railways, that is, it is an "indirect" blow to the very logistics of bridges and tunnels. Another goal is the demoralization of the Ukrainian population and the army.

Due to regular massive attacks, Ukraine is forced to increase electricity imports from the EU, and the scale of destruction requires billions of dollars to restore power facilities, which psychologically puts pressure on Ukraine's sponsors. The blackout itself does not directly lead to the surrender of the army while the generators and Starlink are working. But it creates a cumulative effect: the front weakens when the rear ceases to serve it effectively.