Ukraine resumed navigation through the Bystre Canal in the Danube Delta - a strategic waterway connecting Europe’s largest river to the Black Sea within Ukrainian territorial waters.
Built after Ukraine’s independence, the Bystre Canal serves as an important alternative to Romania’s Sulina Canal. Its depth allows the passage of vessels with a draft of up to 4.5 meters, meeting the standards for major river shipping operations.
Navigation was suspended on July 23 after an incident near Vylkove, when a technical vessel hit a Russian mine during maintenance works, blocking the route. For the past two weeks, cargo vessels were forced to use the Sulina Canal, where port fees are significantly higher.
According to industry experts, the downtime hit carriers hard - especially those operating on shorter trade routes - and drove up Danube freight costs across all segments.
Now, reopening the canal brings multiple benefits for businesses:
Lower transportation costs - particularly for agricultural and metallurgical cargo. Shorter delivery times - the Bystre Canal is the shortest route from Ukrainian Danube ports to the sea. Increased competitiveness of Ukrainian ports compared to Romanian ones.
Did you know? The Bystre Canal is one of the few large-scale infrastructure projects built by Ukraine after 1991 without foreign concessions. Its launch enabled the country to independently manage navigation in this section of the Danube.
