The European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union (EU), has signed a grant agreement with the State Agency for Restoration & Infrastructure Development of Ukraine. The funds will support the agency in the emergency acquisition of temporary bridges to improve mobility.
Mustafa Nayyem, head of the State Agency for Restoration & Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, said: “Destroyed roads and bridges can cost lives in wartime. Since the beginning of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion, 157 bridges and overpasses have been destroyed on the state roads of Ukraine. The agency for restoration works non-stop to restore routes by rebuilding or bypassing the destroyed road network structures. We appreciate that the EIB and EU partners are ready to support us as we rebuild bridges that will be connecting millions of Ukrainians facing the consequences of war. The priority is to put bridges on the sections of road on which the humanitarian situation in the region critically depends. Temporary bridges purchased by the EU grant funds will help to connect Ukrainian people with services that are vital for their survival and resistance.”
EU ambassador in Ukraine Matti Maasikas said: “The European Union firmly supports Ukraine’s efforts to restore lifeline infrastructure and services in war-affected communities. The rapid replacement or reconstruction of bridges, allowing restoration of the critical road network connections, is a matter of priority, in order to ensure prompt evacuations of civil population, supply of necessary medical and humanitarian aid, as well as to provide access to basic social services and ensure regional connectivity. This is why today, the European Union is pleased that signature of the grant agreement between EIB and Ukrainian State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure will allow the purchase and installation of the additional temporary bridges with the EU grant support.”
