Polish carriers block Shehyni checkpoint, no type of transport can pass
Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Polish carriers have blocked the road to the Shehyni checkpoint. Currently, all types of transport cannot get to Poland and Ukraine, according to Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
"Yesterday we reported that we had information from our Polish colleagues that today at 10:00 a.m. the blocking of traffic in the direction of three checkpoints will begin - Yahodyn, Rava-Ruska, and Shehyni. Of course, all these actions are taking place on the territory of Poland in the direction of the checkpoints, and the distance from the border may vary in different sections," he says.
According to Demchenko, according to information from Polish border guards, blocking actions have already begun in the direction of the Shehyni checkpoint (on the Polish side it is the Medyka checkpoint).
"About 100 people and about 50 vehicles blocked the access road to the border. They are located about a few hundred meters from the checkpoint. And at the moment there is no traffic either leaving Poland or entering Poland. Both for trucks and for cars and buses," he says.
The SBGS spokesperson emphasizes that what was said, that the actions were aimed exclusively at blocking trucks, was true, as traffic for all categories of transport was blocked in this direction.
"Of course, we hope that this situation will change shortly and that the Polish side will find a way to move at least for cars and buses," he says.
Demchenko adds that in the other two directions - Rava-Ruska and Yahodyn - border guards have not yet received information from their Polish colleagues about the start of blocking actions.
"But it is possible that they will start at 10:00 a.m. Polish time (11:00 a.m. Kyiv time). We are waiting. As soon as there are changes, we will inform you about it," he says.
According to him, the border blockade may continue until early March.
"As for the timing of such blocking actions, the representatives of the farmers' movement announced that they could continue these actions for a month. In fact, until the beginning of March," says Demchenko.
He adds that according to information from Polish colleagues, two more directions are to be blocked, or actions to block them are to be started - Uhryniv and Ustyluh.
"But these actions are supposed to take place on February 12. We have no official confirmation from our Polish colleagues on other directions," he says.
Ukrainian border blockade
On November 6 last year, Polish carriers went on strike at the border with Ukraine. The Polish protesters demanded the return of the pass system for Ukrainian carriers.
On January 17, 2024, the Polish government signed an agreement with the carriers to unblock the border with Ukraine. As part of the agreement, the parties agreed to suspend protests at the entrances to the three border crossing points until March 1.
On January 31, the European Commission recommends extending the abolition of import duties on agricultural goods from Ukraine until 2024. Polish farmers immediately stated that they did not support the EU's actions.
Polish farmers have announced protests on the border with Ukraine for February 9. The protesters want to block the Dorohusk-Yahodyn checkpoint first.
