Romania Prepares Naval Ships to Measure Depth of Bystroye Canal

Romania has prepared three naval ships to measure the depth of the Bystroye Canal in Ukraine. All it needs now is the green light from the Ukrainian authorities to accept the Romanian ships to do the necessary measurements.

The Romanian Ministry of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu, announced this on Thursday, February 23, on his Facebook account.

We are ready! Three ships of AFDJ Galati – equipped with equipment for measuring the depth of navigable channels – are waiting for acceptance to make measurements on the Bystroye Canal.

Romanian Ministry of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu, on preparing ships to measure the depth of the Bystroye Canal

The context of this announcement is diplomatically complicated. Ukraine has announced it has achieved a depth of almost 7 meters on Bystroye after dredging works, which is against international agreements and bilateral relations between Romania and Ukraine. Also, as experts say, this endangers the existence of the Danube Delta itself.

When facing the accusations, Ukraine retaliated and said Romania entered the Russian rhetoric, which fueled Kremlin’s propaganda. More than that, Klaus Johannis, Romania’s President, asked the Romanian politicians to be silent on this theme, as, in his opinion, Ukraine needs help, not scolding.

Unfortunately for Johannis, his influence in the country is fading as his second mandate ends in 2024. The question remains: will Ukraine let the Romanian ships measure the depth of the Bystroye Canal, or they’ll invoke the war conditions and forbid the entrance?