Due to prolonged drought, water levels in the Rhine River have dropped to critically low levels. At the Kaub measuring station, the water level fell to just 9–10 cm. This extreme мелководье risks effectively splitting the river into two isolated sections. As a result, commercial shipping, including cargo and cruise vessels, has been severely disrupted on many stretches. The Federal Association of German Inland Navigation warned that сквозной проход судов would become impossible at such low levels. Experts caution that the situation could worsen in the coming days. The drop in water levels is having a ripple effect on European trade, as the Rhine is one of the continent’s most important waterways for transporting goods like coal, fuel, and industrial commodities.
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