Vessels bound for Ukrainian ports wait up to 17 days to pass through Sulina

Around 80 vessels were waiting at the Sulina Canal anchorage as of September 7, while the pace of vessel passage to Ukrainian ports remains low. The estimated waiting time for vessels heading to Ukrainian ports currently stands at 14–17 days.

Between September 3 and 6, only eight general cargo vessels passed through Sulina to Ukrainian ports. At the current pace of traffic, the queue is not expected to decline significantly in the near term.

Meanwhile, vessels heading to Moldovan ports are waiting around 4–7 days, while those bound for Romanian ports face delays of 3–5 days. Waiting times for vessels heading to Ukrainian ports therefore remain several times longer.

The maximum safe draft on the Sulina Canal currently stands at 7.01 m. On the route through the Bystre estuary, it is limited to 5.5 m, while near Izmail at Mile 44 the maximum safe draft is 6.7 m.

Long waiting times at Sulina continue to complicate Ukraine’s Danube logistics. A queue of around 80 vessels and delays of up to 17 days are creating additional constraints for cargo shipments through Ukraine’s Danube ports.

Tags: Sulina Canal, Ukrainian ports, vessels