Russia Builds Euphrates Bridge in Syria for Transport Services

Russian military road service specialists have built a bridge across the Euphrates river a few kilometers from Deir al-Zor in northeastern Syria to transport military hardware and personnel to the eastern bank, Vladimir Burovtsev, an official in the Russian Defense Ministry, said Tuesday.

“We used unmanned aerial vehicles. During the installation work, explosive substances and grenades were falling on us from above. Nevertheless, we had no losses — no wounded, no victims. Everything was done on time,” Burovtsev told reporters, Sputnik reported.  Moreover, the bridge will also be used to deliver humanitarian aid to liberated villages and evacuate wounded people. Prior to construction of the bridge only some units of the Syrian army were able to cross the river.

The total length of the crossing is nearly 700 feet, while the capacity is 8,000 vehicles per day. The bridge is capable of bearing the weight of heavy military hardware such as tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and multiple rocket launchers.

The self-styled Islamic State terrorists gained control over Deir al-Zor’s gas and oil fields in April 2014. Earlier in September, Syrian government troops lifted the siege around Deir al-Zor that had been maintained for long by IS. The Syrian forces’ operation on liberating the occupied parts of the city from the militants is currently underway.