In early 2018, a sudden rise in the water level destroyed a key bridge over the Euphrates River, which separated Assad’s Syrian Arab Army (SAA) from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria’s east. Soon after the incident, the Russian Ministry of Defence suggested that the bridge might have been destroyed by SDF forces backed by the United States. No clear evidence was collected and no updates were presented by the Russian MoD since February. On April, the Russian MoD released video footage revealing the construction of a new bridge, in the governorate of Deir Ez-Zor (Deir Er-Zur).

@DFRLab took a deeper look into the story of a strategic Russian bridge over the river Euphrates.

On September 2017, construction of a 212-meter bridge was begun by the Russian military in the Deir-Ez-Zor governorate. A week later, the structure was handed over to the Syrian military. It was intended to be used for the transfer of military equipment and personnel to the eastern shore of the Euphrates.

Bridge built in September 2017. (Source: YouTube / Новости на Первом Канале)

The Russian-built bridge across the Euphrates was destroyed on January 6, 2018 due to sudden rise of water levels in the river, according to RIA Novosti.