The pilot vessel was built by a domestic manufacturer in Ukraine, but all the work was fully funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This was announced by the Ministry of Community Development, Territories, and Infrastructure.
Deputy Administrator of USAID Isabel Coleman and US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink ceremonially handed over the newly constructed pilot vessel to the Administration of Sea Ports. It will soon begin operating in the port of Reni.
The additional vessel signifies an increased capacity for vessel traffic and is one of the mechanisms of the Development Strategy for the Ports of the Danube Cluster, as noted by Minister of Community Development, Territories, and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov.
According to him, last year the ports of Reni, Izmail, and Ust-Dunaysk accounted for a third of the total cargo turnover. And in the first four months of the current year, the Danube ports handled over 5.5 million tons of cargo, including 4 million tons for export.
