Russian drone attacks have caused dozens of ships to back up around critical Danube arteries close to Ukraine’s river gateways, which are Ukraine’s last remaining waterborne grain export route.
„It is impossible to transport the entire volume by river or rail,”said Ukraine’s First Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskiy.
Russia has attacked Ukraine’s agricultural and port infrastructure, including the Danube ports of Izmail and Reni, after refusing to extend a year-old safe passage grain corridor (The Black Sea Grain Deal), brokered by the United Nations and Turkey. At least 30 ships have dropped anchor around Musura Bay in the Black Sea, which leads into a channel that links up with Izmail further along the waterway. Additionally, at least 20 commercial ships are waiting close to the Romanian port of Constanta, mostly bound for Izmail and some of which reported their destination as Romanian ports. Marine insurers have started to restrict the amount of cover they are providing for Danube shipments after pausing insurance provisions for Ukraine ports that were part of the grain corridor initiative.
Speaking on conditions of anonymity, one underwriter said: “This is not only about insurance, but also about overall shipping activities in the area for shipowners who might consider that risks for their crew and their assets are just too high.”
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Shipping Backlog in Danube
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