Shipping development and new river fleet modernization projects: what challenges are facing Belarus's water transport sector?
Monday, 06 July 2026
Ruslan Moroz, head of the department of sea and river transport of the Ministry of Transport, spoke about this in an interview with BELTA.
In accordance with the state program "Transport of Belarus" for 2026-2030, the subprogram "Water Transport" is in effect, providing for a set of measures to improve the efficiency of the industry.
The government has approved a Program for the Development of the Pripyat Polesie Region for 2025-2030, which includes measures to significantly improve shipping conditions by increasing depths by at least 2.5 m over 60% of the navigation period.
Ruslan Moroz:
"These measures include the construction of hydraulic structures to ensure optimal water flow on the Pripyat River. Reconstruction of the structures on the eastern slope of the Dnieper-Bug Canal is planned. Their implementation will remedy the insufficient water supply and ensure the operational conditions of large vessels, whose draft is designed for greater depths."
The total length of Belarus's inland waterways is approximately 2,143 km. They are located in three river basins: the Dnieper (including the Dnieper, Berezina, Sozh, Pripyat, and Goryn rivers), the Western Dvina, and the Neman (including the Augustow Canal). The inland waterways also include the 244-km-long Dnieper-Bug Canal, which connects Mukhovets (Brest) with Pripyat (Pinsk) and Svisloch (Minsk).
