European Roads, Bridges, Rail Unfit for War With Russia: EU Transport Chief

Apostolos Tzitzikostas said that tanks and troops could not move quickly around the continent in the event of a mass mobilization.
European Roads, Bridges, Rail Unfit for War With Russia: EU Transport Chief
A bridge that collapsed in March in La Louviere, Belgium, on July 4, 2025. Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/AFP via Getty Images
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Europe’s roads, railways, and bridges are ill-suited for moving tanks, troops, and other military matériel in the event of a land war with Russia, the European Union’s transport chief said in an interview published Tuesday.

European Commissioner for Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas told the Financial Times that urgent upgrades are needed to the continent’s infrastructure to enable the movement of armed forces eastward. He said that under current conditions, soldiers and equipment could get stuck in tunnels, cause bridges to collapse, and become entangled in border protocols during a large-scale mobilization.
Guy Birchall
Guy Birchall
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Guy Birchall is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories with a particular interest in freedom of expression and social issues.