Ukraine has completed dredging of the mouth of the Bystroe River Danube, bringing the draught of vessels at the section from the 0th kilometer of the mouth of the Bystroe River to the 77th kilometer of the Kiliya mouth to 6.5 meters, the Ministry of Restoration said on Friday.
According to its release, the section from the 77th kilometer to the 116th kilometer of the Kili estuary has a passing draft of 7 meters, whereas at the beginning of the full-scale intrusion, the maximum draft was only 3.9 meters.
“This is the first time we have been able to increase the allowable draught of vessels under independent Ukraine. Thanks to this we will be able to provide more efficient and safe navigation between the Black Sea and the Danube River, as well as increase the cargo flow through the Danube ports,” the report quotes Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Ministry of Reconstruction Alexander Kubrakov as saying.
He added that since March 2022, transshipment of cargo in the ports of Izmail, Reni and Ust-Dunaisk has increased by three times. In general, more than 17 million tons of products, including more than 11 million tons of food products were exported from them.
According to the department, an increase in the draft for the passage of ships through the mouth of the “Bystroe” to the specified level became possible thanks to the elimination of the consequences of drift, the removal of sediment from the soil, the elimination of rollovers and the restoration of passport characteristics within the water areas of sea ports of Ukraine.
As reported, the passage of ships through the mouth of the “Bystroe” was opened on July 9, 2022 after the liberation of the Snake Island from the occupants.
