Border blockade: Poland refuses to let trucks pass through Yahodyn

Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service (SBGS) has commented on the situation on the Ukrainian-Polish border, where Polish hauliers have been blocking truck traffic for the last two days.

Source: Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the SBGS, on the 24/7 newscast, as reported by European Pravda with reference to Ukrinform

Details: Demchenko said Poland is not allowing trucks from Ukraine to pass through the Yahodyn checkpoint, although trucks are still being let through at the Krakovets and Rava-Ruska border crossings.

Demchenko stated, however, that there are traffic problems in all three areas.

Quote: "At the Yahodyn border crossing, the Polish side is not allowing trucks coming from Ukraine to pass, and we aren’t seeing very much traffic from Poland to Ukraine - maybe a few vehicles arriving from Poland per hour. But trucks from Ukraine are continuing to cross the border into Poland at the Krakovets and Rava-Ruska checkpoints."

More details: There is also limited truck traffic from Poland to Ukraine. In one hour, only a few vehicles arriving from Poland complete the inspection.

According to the SBGS, as of the morning of 7 November, about 160 trucks were waiting to cross the border at the Yahodyn checkpoint. There were about 100 trucks near Krakovets and about 50 near Rava-Ruska.

Demchenko added that the protesters do not hinder bus and car traffic.

Background: Earlier, dozens of Polish hauliers began to blockade three crossings on the border with Ukraine.

Vasyl Zvarych, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, called the border blockade "a painful stab in Ukraine’s back" and urged the hauliers to stop.

The Polish hauliers’ key demand is to bring back the system of permits that Ukrainian hauliers used to need to work in the EU.

After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union took unprecedented steps to support the Ukrainian economy and waived the requirement for Ukrainians to obtain these permits for a year. This summer, the EU extended the rule until June 2024.

Polish hauliers are now demanding that this privilege be abolished and the old permit system reinstated.

Another of their demands is for more stringent rules for transportation under the ECMT, a certificate issued by the European Conference of Ministers of Transport.

Support UP or become our patron!