Romania–Moldova–Ukraine Freight Traffic Affected by Attacks on Border Infrastructure

Freight Traffic between Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine Affected by Attacks on Border Infrastructure

Repeated Russian attacks on border infrastructure in the southern part of the Odesa region have begun to affect transport flows between Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. On Sunday, September 6, trucks leaving Romania through the Galați Border Crossing Point were facing waiting times of approximately 10 hours.

According to data published by the Romanian Border Police through the Trafic Online application, the estimated waiting time for freight transport at the Galați Border Crossing Point had reached 600 minutes on Sunday evening. Authorities identified the main cause as the “large number of freight vehicles presented for inspection.”

The increase in traffic along this route is also linked to the rerouting of some carriers towards the Galați–Giurgiulești–Reni route following attacks on the Orlivka–Isaccea border crossing. During the same period, trucks leaving Romania through the Isaccea Border Crossing Point faced an estimated waiting time of approximately 180 minutes.

Pressure on the Giurgiulești–Reni Corridor

The congestion in Galați is driven by several factors, particularly the security situation in Ukraine and the limited capacity to handle traffic along the Giurgiulești–Reni route.

The high number of freight vehicles, including shipments destined for Ukraine or originating from the country, exceeds the processing capacity of the transport flow through the Republic of Moldova towards the Ukrainian border crossing at Reni.

The short distance between the Galați, Giurgiulești and Reni border crossings also contributes to the formation of queues. On Saturday, approximately 20 trucks that had already completed the exit formalities from Romania were waiting on the section between the two borders.

Special Security Measures at Reni

According to information provided by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, part of the transport flow was redirected from Isaccea to Galați following the attacks on the Orlivka crossing.

At the same time, Ukrainian authorities are implementing additional security measures at Reni. Trucks are allowed to enter in groups of no more than five vehicles so that they can be quickly dispersed in the event of an attack.

Air raid alerts are another challenge. During periods when an air raid alert is in effect, border control activities and customs procedures at Reni are completely suspended, which can significantly slow down the overall transport flow.

The Romanian Border Police states that Romanian authorities and customs services are operating at the maximum capacity permitted by the existing infrastructure.

Orlivka Border Crossing Targeted Again by Russian Attacks

The logistics situation was further complicated by another attack on border infrastructure in the Odesa region. During the night of September 5–6, Russian forces attacked infrastructure in the Izmail district, and the Orlivka border crossing, located on the Ukrainian bank of the Danube opposite Isaccea, temporarily suspended its operations.

This was the second attack within one week to result in the temporary disruption of operations at the border crossing.

Previously, during the night of September 1, Russian Shahed-type drones struck the Orlivka crossing building and its premises, causing fires and the temporary suspension of traffic. Operations resumed the following day.

Operations at Orlivka Resumed

Following the attack during the night from Saturday to Sunday, operations at the Orlivka border crossing were temporarily suspended, but the situation returned to normal within a relatively short period.

At 9:12 a.m. on September 6, authorities in the Izmail district announced the resumption of operations at the border crossing, with border control and crossing procedures returning to normal.

However, the security situation in the southern part of the Odesa region remains an important factor affecting regional commercial traffic, particularly the logistics routes connecting Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.