Forbes: Military bridging to shape Russia-Ukraine winter combat

Both sides struggle with complex military bridging operations, with rivers acting as both barriers and enablers in the ongoing war.

Dec 7, 2024 - 01:00

Forbes: Military bridging to shape Russia-Ukraine winter combat

Ukrainian soldiers work to reinforce a pontoon bridge in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, December 2022. Photo: Anadolu Agency

Military bridging operations are playing a crucial role in shaping battle lines between Russian and Ukrainian forces this winter, as both sides face significant challenges from Ukraine’s rivers, which act as natural barriers to heavy military vehicles, Forbes wrote.

Russia has intensified its offensive operations over the past months to secure additional territory before potential peace talks after US President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.

According to Forbes, Russian forces have reportedly established a company-sized bridgehead over the Oskil river in the Masiutivka-Zapadne area in eastern Kharkiv Oblast. Forbes notes that the Oskil river has been a key obstacle preventing Russian forces from capturing Kupiansk, a strategic hub for railways and highways. However, no reports indicate the construction of a bridge capable of supporting assault vehicles, and some sources suggest the bridgehead has already been destroyed.

: Situation in the area of Masiutivka-Zapadne north of Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast as of 6 December 2024. Map: Deepstatemap

The Dnipro River remains contested in southern Ukraine, with Russia controlling the east bank and Ukraine holding the west bank following Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson. Forbes reports that despite Ukraine establishing a bridgehead on the eastern bank last year, they couldn’t construct a bridge and eventually abandoned the position.

: Krynky area, Kherson Oblast (now occupied), where Ukrainian forces held a beachhead for months before retreating due to unreliable boat-based logistics. Map: Deepstatemap

Russian forces are now attempting to control islands in the Dnipro river mouth to establish fortified positions for a potential west bank bridgehead.

: Islands in the Dnipro estuary remain in the “gray zone,” with both Ukrainian and Russian forces intermittently taking positions on them. Map: Deepstatemap

Forbes says that Russian forces have destroyed bridges near Tymonovychi and Karpovychi in northern Chernihiv Oblast near the Ukraine-Russia-Belarus border.

: Tymonovychi and Karpovychi in Chernihiv Oblast. Map: Deppstatemap

Both sides utilize Soviet-era equipment including MTU-72 assault bridges and PMP floating bridges. Russia has upgraded these systems with the MTU-90 and PP-2005 pontoon bridge, while Ukraine has received various bridge systems through foreign aid from Germany and the United States.

According to Forbes, both sides face personnel challenges, with bridging units suffering heavy losses and likely operating with inadequately trained soldiers. Ukraine maintains a slight defensive advantage through its drone and electronic warfare capabilities, which can disrupt Russian river-crossing efforts.

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