The Yampi–Koseutsi ferry crossing has not been operating for several years. A major bridge across the Dniester River, which was supposed to replace it, has stalled due to lack of funding. Now the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories has announced the start of construction of a temporary bridge crossing—as an interim solution until the completion of the full-scale project.
From ferry to temporary bridge: timeline of delays
The idea of the Yampi–Koseutsi bridge has been discussed since 2020. On June 12, 2023, Ukraine and Moldova signed an intergovernmental agreement: both parliaments ratified it, both governments allocated funds. The estimated cost of construction is approximately 5 billion hryvnias, of which 370 million hryvnias were planned to be spent in 2023, 2.2 billion hryvnias in 2024, and 2.4 billion hryvnias in 2025 from the State Road Fund. The bridge length is 641 meters, the viaduct is 668 meters, with a total crossing length of over 1,400 meters.
However, actual funding fell behind the plan. As reported by Business Censor, Ukraine's Ambassador to Moldova Paun Rogovei openly acknowledged the problem:
"The Koseutsi–Yampi bridge is a grandiose and very expensive project. Work was not halted, but there were some problems with financing."
Paun Rogovei, Ukraine's Ambassador to Moldova
According to ukr.net, construction of the permanent bridge was temporarily suspended. Full launch was first postponed to 2025, then to mid-2027, if work resumes without new obstacles.
What is being built now and why
A temporary bridge crossing is being built for the future international checkpoint "Yampi–Koseutsi." According to the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories, it will reduce the route between Vinnytsia and Moldovan Soroca by 28 kilometers—and this can happen now, without waiting until 2027.
The strategic context is important: the only full-scale bridge between Ukraine and Moldova in this region is currently in Mogilev-Podilsky. Virtually all transport traffic between the two countries passes through it. The route bypassing occupied territories through Chișinău to Kyiv with a stop in Soroca after the crossing opens could be reduced to 5 hours, as assessed by Moldova's Ambassador to Ukraine Valeriu Kiveri.
There is money, but not all of it
In April 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers redistributed the remaining special fund of the state budget and allocated funds for bridge construction—this was reported by People's Deputy Hennadii Vatsak. In parallel, as noted in the relevant ministry, the development of the Yampi direction is gaining significance as an element of national security: alternative routes bypassing key logistics hubs are not merely a matter of trade, but also of resilience during war.
Earlier, the project cost was estimated at 3.4 billion hryvnias, later cost estimates gave a figure of 5 billion hryvnias. The Moldovan share—approximately €20 million—is covered by the Moldovan budget.
If new funding is not fully confirmed by the end of 2025, the temporary crossing risks turning from an "interim solution" into a permanent one—as already happened with the ferry, which "temporarily" did not operate for several years in a row.
