Russia, in overnight drone strikes on August 16, targeted ports and grain storage facilities along the Danube river in Ukraine.
- The Danube delta has provided Ukraine with an alternative passage for its grain after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal.
- The Black Sea grain deal, brokered by the UN and Turkey, used to provide safe passage for cargo ships carrying grain from Ukrainian Black Sea ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi.
- Of particular importance in this ‘new’ trade route is the Sulina Channel.
- It is a 63 km long distributary of the Danube, connecting major Ukrainian ports on the river to the Black Sea, lying completely within the borders of Romania, a NATO member.
- The Danube, Europe’s second longest river, has historically been crucial for the movement of freight.
- Near Tulcea, Romania, some 80 km from the sea, the river begins to spread out into its delta which has three major channels – Chilia, Sulina and St George.
- Of these, the Sulina Channel, which has been dredged and straightened, is the only one deep and wide enough for freight transport.
