River freight traffic from and to port of Constanța remains halted near km 280 following an incident of October 6, 2026. Due to the fairway blockage, more than 30 ships and over 100 barges are currently unable to proceed in either direction. This disruption severely impacts cargo logistics, including export shipments of Ukrainian grain consigned to...

Today, the city of Ruse traditionally marked the official start of the celebrations on the occasion of the 147th anniversary of the establishment of the Bulgarian Naval Forces. The events were jointly organised by the Naval Command, the Municipality of Ruse and the Regional Administration.

Danube water level is projected to increase gradually from Monday thanks to heavy rain in several regions. While mid-week rainfalls in Central Europe are expected to raise fairway depths, experts caution that shipping constraints and draft limitations will likely linger into next weeks.

Cruise operators use "ship swap" maneuvers to keep announced routes and itineraries amid dropping water levels on the Danube River. Passengers are transported by buses to identical ships after the shallow section.

Ukraine is consolidating its Danube ports (Izmail, Reni and Ust-Dunaisk) under a single unified administration. The goal is to safely maintain a transshipment capacity of up to 15 million tons annually despite ongoing regional security challenges.Bystre Canal at the mouth of the Danube River was successfully reopened for vessels up to 4.5 m draft.

The third event to promote transport between Türkiye and the Danube was held in Varna on July 8–9, 2026.
Organised as a continuation of regional maritime and river initiatives, the conference focused on the following key objectives::
- Capitalising on the connection between Black Sea ports and the Danube River waterway to streamline cargo routes into...

Kaneff Centre, Ruse, Bulgaria; 14 July 2026, 9:00-15:00 EET

Cargo vessels are forced to operate at around 50% capacity due to draft limitations at shallow bottleneck areas. Shipping companies have started applying low-water surcharges to partly compensate financial losses.

A working meeting was held at the Ministry of Transport and Communications on the competitiveness of the ports of Varna and Burgas in the context of the development of the Middle Corridor. The main challenges facing the sector were identified as outdated infrastructure and regulatory framework requiring a new management model. The need for...