Priority passage has been introduced for vessels carrying vegetable oil on the Sulina Channel. The development was reported on October 26, 2026, by Kateryna Kononenko, Operations Manager at Avalon Shipping. According to her, priority status is already reflected in the vessel lists maintained by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA). The measure is intended to facilitate vegetable oil shipments through the Danube logistics corridor, which remains important for Ukraine's agricultural exports.
Priority does not mean that the entire queue must stop for an individual vessel. If a tanker carrying vegetable oil has not yet arrived at Sulina or is not ready to transit the channel, an available pilot is assigned to the next vessel. This approach helps prevent pilot downtime and maintain continuous traffic. Avalon Shipping expects the mechanism to have a limited impact on overall traffic because vegetable oil shipments account for a considerably smaller share of cargo volumes than grain.
As of October 26, approximately 80 vessels were waiting at the Sulina anchorage, while another 25 were ready to depart. Weather conditions remain the main cause of delays. Dense fog near the Romanian city of Tulcea has disrupted vessel movements for the second consecutive day, particularly for ships travelling from Mile 44 to complete the required formalities. Restricted visibility is causing delays of approximately 12 hours, affecting shipping schedules and operations at Danube ports.
For Ukrainian exporters, priority passage for vegetable oil vessels could facilitate shipments of finished products and reduce the risk of oil accumulating at processing facilities. However, the effectiveness of the mechanism will depend on vessel readiness, pilot availability and weather conditions. Vessel draft restrictions remain another important factor. As of October 26, the maximum safe draft was 7.01 metres at Sulina, 5.5 metres on the Bystre Channel, and approximately 6.7–6.8 metres on certain sections between Izmail, Reni and Mile 44.
Source: Ukrainian Shipping Magazine, October 26, 2026, citing Avalon Shipping Operations Manager Kateryna Kononenko.