By Olha Chepil | 2025-08-12

A single bridge could decide the speed of a war.

Across Europe, many crossings can't carry the weight of modern tanks, forcing military convoys to crawl along detours or wait for engineering units to build replacements. The continent's infrastructure, built for peacetime traffic, could turn into a strategic liability if conflict erupts with Russia, according to Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism.

"We have old bridges that need to be upgraded. We have narrow bridges that need to be widened. And we have nonexistent bridges to be built," he told the Financial Times in a July 29 interview.

Europe's infrastructure was never designed for the weight of modern military hardware. Tanks can weigh up to 70 tons, but most European roads are rated for just 40.

"The reality today is that if we want to move military equipment and troops from the western side of Europe to the eastern side, it takes weeks and in some cases months," Tzitzikostas warned.

€17 billion is just a start

The European Union (EU) plans to upgrade about 500 infrastructure projects along military corridors in coordination with NATO, but is withholding details for security reasons. The bloc will spend €17 billion to modernize roads, bridges and other facilities to improve troop mobility.

That sum is "just the beginning," Oleksandr Kraiev, an expert at the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, told Kontur. EU assessments estimate up to €600 billion is needed to refurbish defense capabilities. He linked the spending to NATO's commitments at recent Vilnius and Madrid summits, including plans to defend the Suwałki Gap and the Baltic states, which could be occupied for up to 90 days under earlier military scenarios.

After those talks, Kraiev said, NATO began focusing on rapid force deployment -- impossible without modern logistics. He called the EU's push a response to the lessons of Russia's war in Ukraine and a recognition that Europe must be prepared to act independently should US force levels in the region change.

The EU is especially concerned about Russia's Zapad-2025 exercises this fall, which Kraiev said simulate capturing the Suwałki Gap and isolating the Baltics.

Moscow has long used major drills as cover for aggression, he added. The 2008 invasion of Georgia followed the Caucasus 2008 exercises, and Russia's 2014 assault on Ukraine came days after snap drills in western Russia.

Preparing for war

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Russia could be ready to use force against the alliance within five years if defense spending does not increase.

Speaking June 9 at Chatham House in London, he said Russia's defense industry is expected to produce 1,500 tanks, 3,000 armored vehicles and 200 Iskander missiles this year alone.

European leaders are treating transport as a defense priority. In July, the European Commission approved 94 projects worth €2.8 billion under the Connecting Europe Facility program, with 77% of funds going to rail upgrades in the Baltics, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Greece.

"Investment in defense, weapons production and research in the field of advanced military technologies is only part of the process. Mobility is also essential -- that is, the ability to quickly redeploy troops, weapons and strategic goods," Volodymyr Dubovyk, an international relations professor at Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University, told Kontur.

The EU plans to cut border bureaucracy to keep tanks and other military assets from being delayed in transit. Rapid, unobstructed logistics is critical in a potential conflict, but experts say resilience is just as important.

"You also need to be prepared for a potential enemy to attack infrastructure inside Europe, which means that you need to ensure that it's resilient, Dubovyk noted.

Analysts see improved logistics, stronger infrastructure and expanded NATO capabilities as direct responses to Russian threats. Kraiev said experts warned in 2021 about Russian troop buildups and preparations for a large-scale war -- and the danger remains.

European cohesion

For decades, NATO handled defense while the EU focused on political, economic and humanitarian matters. That division has eroded since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said Austrian political analyst Gregor Razumovsky.

The war showed that military threats are not solely NATO's concern, prompting the EU itself to take a more active role in defense and security.

"The threat that Russia poses to the European security architecture is growing by the day," Razumovsky told Kontur.

Analysts say Europe is moving from rhetoric to action, with current investments indicating a shift in policy.

"The EU's policy on this is changing, just as the policies of the individual member states are. Appropriate decisions are being made, but now it's important to watch to see if they will be implemented effectively and quickly," Dubovyk said.