Soviet period
The Soviet Danube State Shipping Company (now – PJSC “Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company”) was founded on October 14, 1944 in order to ensure transportation of troops and equipment, as well as economic cargoes, along the Danube during World War Two.
At the initial stage of operation, the newly created company used captured vessels. In the 1950s-1960s 75 new tugs and pusher tugs were built (“Vladivostok”, “Kiev”, “Moskva”, “Riga”, “Ivanovo” and “Korneuburg” types), and in 1970s-1980s the company’s river fleet received powerful pusher tugs (“Sergei Avdeienkov”, “Zaporozhye” and “Leningrad” types) and self-propelled dry cargo vessels of the “Kapitan Antipov” type. At the same time the non-self-propelled fleet received new tankers and dry cargo vessels built at the Kilia Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Factory, as well as at shipyards located in Austria, Romania and Bulgaria.
The main range of cargoes transported includes metal, grain, ore and equipment.
From 1950s UDP started to master the sea are of operation, new series of ships were built (vegetable carrying vessels, dry cargo vessels, container vessels). In 1990s the fleet of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company received a series of six dry cargo sea vessels built in Portugal, which now constitute the company’s sea fleet.
From the late 70s to the late 1980s, RDP participated in the work of the newly created international organization “Interlighter” performing direct transportation of cargoes from the Danube countries to the ports in the Black Sea, Mediterranea Sea, Red Sea, South-East Asia, Middle East, North and East Africa.
Passenger transportation by river (international and local transportation) and by sea was another area of activity. The tourist line “From the Alps to the Black Sea” was served by the river vessels “Amur” and “Dunai” and sea vessels “Belinskii” and “Osetia”, later – by modern at the time, comfortable vessels “Volga”, “Dnipro”, “Ukraina” and “Moldavia” and the sea vessel “Aivazovskii”.
Period of independent Ukraine
After Ukraine gained independence, the Soviet Danube Shipping Company was renamed the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company on November 20, 1991.
In 2001 OJSC “Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company” was granted the status of a national carrier.
From the early 1990s, the company faced some serious challenges related to the economic crisis, embargo against Yugoslavia, disruption of regular navigation on the Danube near the port of Novi Sad and loss of a part of the cargo traffic. However, despite everything, the shipping company preserved its integrity and its position on the Danube.
Since 2000s, attempts were made to restore the company’s fleet and resume the construction of river barges. Within the state program for development of the Ukrainian Danube region, construction of two sea vessels was started at the Kilia SSRF, which was never completed.
Starting from 2007, permanent manager replacements sometimes had a negative impact on the company’s status. Certain cargo transportation facilities were lost, some ships were arrested for debts, part of the fleet was sold or laid up for a long time, a significant number of routes became unprofitable, corruption was rampant in the company.
The company was on the verge of bankruptcy more than once due to inefficient management. The year 2021 became a critical point. The company almost ceased its activities. Major debts exceeded EUR 7 million.
Current situation
From late February, 2022 the activities of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company underwent significant changes. The barge and tug fleet (previously unused) was restored, the route circulation process was optimized, the internal scheduling system was established, demurrage of vessels and tugs was minimized, a system for online monitoring of fleet movements and control over fuel consumption was implemented, digitalization and de-shadowing were performed. The company is restoring relations with its strategic partners on the Middle Danube and creating a stevedoring complex. The debts have been repaid, the wage arrears have been paid in full to the sailors in the UDP subsidiary, financial aid have been returned to the USPA. A large-scale fleet repair and restoration program has been initiated, the number of vessels in operation has been increased. In 2023 the number of self-propelled vessels in operation reached 24 units, the number of no-self-propelled vessels exceeded 200 units. UDP is re-entering the sea transportation market. The company has concluded an agreement with the IFC for expansion and modernization of the tug fleet.
