Not only Russian attacks: what is slowing Ukrainian exports via the Danube

Russian strikes on ports, low water levels, and the limited capacity of the Sulina Canal have caused multi-day queues of ships on the Danube, and journalists’ investigation showed how ship movements are organized and what is known about the accusations surrounding this system.

Read also: A campaign against the Shipping Administration: who is undermining trust in the ports and what it means for exports In early September about 80 vessels were waiting near the Sulina Canal, some of them unable to pass for 17 days. Each day of delay increases fuel, charter, and crew maintenance costs, and therefore the cost of exports. Why the Danube can’t handle the load In summer Russia stepped up attacks on port infrastructure and shipping. Because of the shelling of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi, part of the cargo flow shifted back to the Danube. Additional strain came from the harvest season, when volumes of grain to be sent to foreign markets grow. At the same time, the Danube route has physical constraints. The operation of the Sulina Canal is affected by capacity, water level, and weather conditions: under adverse circumstances ship traffic can stop completely. "The Danube is unable to process the volume of cargo that Ukraine produces," said Sergey Nikulin, deputy general director of the stevedoring company Brooklyn-Kyiv. Read also: Russians are striking civilian vessels in the Black Sea: the world is urged to impose tough sanctions Who forms the ship queue The Sulina Canal is administered by the Romanian Administration of the Lower Danube (AFDJ), which ensures vessel passage. From the Ukrainian side, requests are coordinated by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA): it receives data from port operators, ship agents, and port administrations and forwards them to the Romanian side through the Primus system. The main priority criterion is the date the port confirms readiness to receive the ship. Entry requires confirmed cargo and a free berth. At the same time, certain categories of vessels, including container ships, gas carriers, and vessels with dangerous goods or livestock, can receive priority. Journalists also analyzed Cabinet Resolution No. 212 of 6 March 2022, which defines the powers of the Shipping Administration. The document provides for state regulation, oversight, and ensuring navigation safety, as well as seafarer certification. It does not grant direct authority to form the queue on the Sulina Canal. What is known about the accusations In 22 August, Member of Parliament Anna Skorokhod stated that up to 10 thousand dollars could be demanded for the opportunity to load or unload a ship without waiting. In 8 September she published new accusations — this time alleging 30–50 thousand dollars for a spot in the queue entering the Danube. The public reports mentioned the name of the head of the Shipping Administration, Sergey Hursky. The investigators analyzed publications that appeared after the MP’s statements. According to their conclusions, most articles repeated her posts without providing their own evidence. In the examined publications, journalists did not find confirmation of specific payments, correspondence, company testimony, or data on vessels for whose passage money was allegedly demanded. In 10 September the Ukrport association stated that it has no confirmed information about such payments. Nikulin also said he was not aware of cases of bribes for passing the queue. According to Artem Vashchylenko, chairman of the supervisory board of the public association Maritime Cluster, the organization also did not receive reports of such incidents. What is being checked in the work of the Shipping Administration In 9 September the Cabinet opened disciplinary proceedings against Sergey Hursky and suspended him from his duties. Sergey Maksimov was temporarily assigned to run the agency. The grounds were possible violations in the administration’s work, including in organizing navigation and seafarer certification. The Commission on the Higher Corps of Civil Service must inform the government of the inspection results by 23 October. Problems with seafarer certification arose long before Hursky’s appointment. At the end of 2022 the government introduced a new certification procedure intended to reduce corruption risks in certain processes. Industry representatives also note digitalization and simplification of some administrative services, although it is too early to say the reform is complete. Thus, delays on the Danube have several confirmed causes — from Russian attacks to the canal’s constraints and seasonal increases in cargo flows. At the same time, public accusations regarding the queue are not supported by evidence presented in the materials examined by the journalists. Whether violations occurred and who might be responsible should be determined by official inspections.

Earlier Sergey Hursky explained in an RBC-Ukraine column how uniting shipping, science, and infrastructure into a single cluster will help restore the country’s logistics.