Cargo handling in Danube ports has increased almost threefold, — Kalashnyk

The ports of the Danube cluster have increased their average monthly cargo handling from 560 thousand tons to almost 1.5 million tons against the backdrop of the worsening security situation in the Black Sea.

This was stated by the Minister of Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukrinform reports.

According to the minister, since July, Ukrainian maritime logistics has been experiencing one of the most difficult periods due to the significant deterioration of the security situation in the Black Sea.

In particular, if previously the ports of Great Odesa processed an average of 6 million tons of cargo per month, then in August this figure decreased to about 300 thousand tons – by 95%.

Against this background, part of the cargo flow was taken over by the ports of the Danube cluster.

According to Kalashnyk, in the first half of 2026, Reni, Izmail and Ust-Dunaysk processed an average of 560 thousand tons of cargo per month. However, in July-September, the figure increased to almost 1.5 million tons.

At the same time, Ukraine significantly increased its export volumes, in particular grain, through western border crossings. Compared to the average monthly figures of 2025, cargo traffic in this direction has increased more than fourfold.

Earlier, USM reported that the freight of wheat from Danube ports to Egypt is $105–110 per ton.