Moldova reroutes Ukraine travel after Maiaky Bridge attack
Undeterred by surging costs, tripled distances, and the exhaustion of war, residents of Odessa continue their journey home from Moldova.
Following the suspension of the strategic Maiaky-Udobne bridge due to recent attacks, passengers are forced to bypass southern routes entirely.
Travelers at Chișinău North Bus Station and Chișinău "Eugen Doga" International Airport now board coaches heading toward the northern border crossing at Otaci–Mohyliv-Podilskyi. This detour bypasses the Transnistrian region, which remains inaccessible for security reasons.
Previously, a trip to Odessa cost 400 MDL and took roughly five hours. Today, the journey has ballooned into a 15-to-20-hour ordeal.
The Human Cost of Disruption
For many, the extended travel time is a secondary concern compared to family obligations. One traveler explained her urgency to return despite the risks.
"My husband and son are there. My husband suffers from chronic hypertension and heart issues; I have to be with him."
Others expressed a defiant weariness after years of conflict.
"People from Odessa want to get to Odessa—nothing will stop us. I am afraid, but I am going. We have been driven from place to place under blackouts and gunfire for nearly four years."
Logistical Shift: 800-Kilometer Rerouting
Drivers confirmed the severity of the new route, which takes them through Mohyliv-Podilskyi and Vinnytsia before descending toward Odessa.
"We are traveling through Mohyliv, a total of 800 kilometers," one driver noted. "That is 600 kilometers more than the usual route."
In response to the road closures, Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) has added extra capacity to the Chișinău-Kyiv line. Two additional carriages will run from Odessa to Chișinău on December 20 and 22, departing at 17:53.
Freight and Humanitarian Corridors
Boris Rarancean, Deputy Head of Passenger Transport at CFM, confirmed these carriages will arrive via Train 351 on December 21 and 23, before returning to Odessa the same day.
Meanwhile, vital freight and humanitarian aid are being rerouted through Moldova. National authorities have mobilized to manage the influx, implementing rigorous customs and security protocols to prevent bottlenecks.
A temporary mobile camp has also been established at the Palanca–Maiaky-Udobne crossing to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to those in transit.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
