The impact of the war in Ukraine on inland water transport in the Danube region

Abstract

The war conflict in Ukraine that started on 24th February 2022 has had a big impact on a lot of aspects of our lives not only in Europe but in the world. It has also had an impact on the area of inland navigation, mainly in the Danube region. As a result of the war conflict, transport routes have been changed between Ukraine and other countries. Some of them are still blocked, and some of them are used more than they used to be. Europe was not prepared for such a situation. Therefore, it has been necessary to solve a lot of logistics issues. Ukraine has been one of the biggest exporters of agricultural products and raw materials on the EU market. Logistic support for the export of these products is crucial for the maintenance of the economy of each country, especially for a country that is at war. Ukrainian maritime ports have been blocked; railway transport has always had limited capacity; part of the railway infrastructure has been completely damaged. The Danube was and still is significant and sometimes the only possibility for the transport of goods between Ukraine and other European countries.