Danube

Bulgarian tourism is facing another challenging season, as visitor numbers have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, despite an uptick in arrivals to the Black Sea coast this year.

The Danube River has recently reached its peak levels due to heavy rainfall in Europe, resulting in overflows in Budapest. However, officials in Bulgaria report that there is no danger of flooding in the Bulgarian section of the river. The Agency for Research and Maintenance of the Danube is continuously monitoring water levels, which remain well within safe limits.

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Milos Vucevic said on Monday the authorities were watching closely the situation regarding the water levels of rivers in central Europe and that water levels in Serbia were expected to peak between September 24 and 26.

A Bulgarian cruise ship collided with a concrete wall in a sluice on the River Danube in the northern Austrian town of Aschach an der Donau, leaving eleven people injured. The incident, which occurred overnight, has sparked concern and prompted a large-scale rescue operation.

A strategic corridor stretching from Ukraine to the ports of Romania and Bulgaria is rapidly evolving into a prominent global marketplace for grain trade in the Northwest Black Sea region, announced Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

In a concerted effort, Bulgaria and Romania are actively pushing for the construction of a second bridge over the Danube, linking Ruse, Bulgaria, and Giurgiu, Romania. Deputy Minister of Transport Dimitar Nedyalkov shared this development during the regional conference on the project "Europe in the Balkans: Common Future," organized by the Bulgarian news agency BTA.

Bulgaria, Turkiye, and Romania have forged a significant alliance in Istanbul by signing a joint agreement to address the lingering issue of mines in the Black Sea resulting from the war in Ukraine. The primary goal of this collaborative mission is to ensure safe navigation in the region, addressing a pressing concern for maritime safety.

KLADOVO - Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Friday a generator of the Djerdap 1 hydroelectric power plant had been refurbished successfully to extend the plant's lifespan by 30-40 years.

Day 580 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr confirmed that parts of a Russian drone fell on the territory of Romania.

CNN's Antena 3 TV noted that the parts of the drone were found in the area of Plauru settlement in Tulcea county, after Russia carried out several attacks in recent days on the Ukrainian ports of Izmail and Reni, located near the border with Romania.