Ukraine-Poland border situation update: 2100 trucks in queues
Photo: The situation on the border with Poland on February 27 (GettyImages)
Poland continues to block six checkpoints for Ukrainian trucks. Farmers let a certain number of them through, but it is critically low, according to Andrii Demchenko, a spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
"In general, traffic for cars and buses is free in both directions. For trucks, traffic is blocked in six directions: Yahodyn, Ustyluh, Uhryniv, Rava-Ruska, Krakivets, and Shehyni, he says.
According to Demchenko, as of this morning, the total number of trucks in the queues is about 2,100. The biggest congestion is currently observed opposite Krakivets, Rava-Ruska, and Yahodyn.
Number of trucks passing is critically low
"Along with the queues, we have a significant decrease in the crossing of the border by trucks. Polish farmers still let a small number of trucks pass in both directions. However, we continue to record critically low rates in two directions," the SBGS spokesperson says.
According to him, no more than 150 trucks crossed the Shehyni and Yahodyn checkpoints, while the overall capacity of this direction is approximately 1200-1400 trucks per day.
"And in fact, Polish farmers do not let any trucks traveling from Ukraine to Poland through this area. In recent days, there have been zero figures here," he notes.
Border blocking by Polish carriers
According to Demchenko, there is no official confirmation from Polish border guards that carriers will join the blockade.
"Neither at the level of the border office of the apparatus nor at the level of senior shifts at checkpoints," he says.
According to him, the relevant information about the plans to resume blocking actions by Polish carriers was also observed in open sources.
"Among the directions that were spread in media reports, it is within the areas where Polish farmers are still blocking traffic for trucks," the SBGS spokesperson adds.
Yesterday it was reported that Polish carriers intend to resume protests on the border with Ukraine on Friday, March 1.
Ukraine-Poland border situation
Since November 2023, Polish carriers have been on strike at the border with Ukraine. In January, the border was unblocked after a Polish agreement was signed between the carriers and the government.
In February, protests at the border resumed. Farmers are blocking the checkpoints. They recently announced a "total blockade" of the border and began pouring out Ukrainian grain.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a conference call on the situation at the border and invited Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk to meet at the border.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that a meeting between the two governments would take place on March 28 in Warsaw.
Read more about the Poland-Ukraine border in RBC-Ukraine's report.
