Ukraine resumes navigation on the Bystre Canal — it was closed due to a ship explosion

From August 6, 2025, Ukraine officially restores passage through the Bystre Canal for vessels with a draft of up to 4.5 m.

This is reported by the AgroWeek publication.

This decision opens up new opportunities for shipowners who previously faced restrictions due to the temporary closure of the canal.

According to experts, during the closure of the Bystre Canal, many shipowners were forced to increase their freight rates to compensate for the additional costs. However, the prices offered by the carriers turned out to be unacceptable to charterers. This led to minimal activity in the deal-making market.

After the resumption of the Bystre Canal, market participants predict a partial revival of freight traffic on the Danube due to more balanced conditions for negotiations between sellers and buyers.

• On the evening of July 23, during scheduled work at the mouth of the Danube, a dredger exploded. There were 11 crew members on board. Three employees of the Sea Ports Administration of Ukraine died as a result of the explosion. Other crew members were injured and hospitalized.

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