Danube Queue Swells to 80 Vessels Amid Ongoing Ukrainian Port Blockages

The queue of vessels waiting to enter the Danube en route to Ukraine's river ports has grown to about 80 over the past five days, according to a shipper. The backlog is due to Russian attacks that have blocked Ukraine's main Black Sea ports, which handled 90% of the country's grain exports.

Shipping agencies reported a growing backlog at the entrance to the Sulina Canal, the only Danube channel deep enough for vessels traveling to Ukraine's ports of Reni and Izmail from the Black Sea. Delays have been attributed to a shortage of pilots and the need to prioritize certain cargoes, including fuel shipments.

However, traffic through the canal is starting to improve, with at least seven vessels expected to enter on Monday. Katerina Kononenko from Avalon Shipping said that if around 10 vessels can be moved into Sulina per day, the queue of about 80 vessels could be cleared in several weeks.

But even as traffic increases, bottlenecks may form on departures as more vessels will need to exit through the canal and undergo mandatory inspections. Ukrainian railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said exports via the Danube could increase, but operations continue to be hampered by vessel shortages and frequent air-raid alerts.