Blocking of transport on the Polish border will have severe social and political consequences for both countries – Oleksandr Kubrakov

A video of a crowd of Polish protesters blocking the passage of buses with passengers inside is going viral on social media.

Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, held urgent talks with Jacek Siewera, Head of the National Security Bureau of Poland, concerning the unacceptability of blocking the border, especially passenger transport.

Blocking the border directly threatens the security of the country that is defending itself. Such actions negatively affect our confrontation with the common enemy, russia.

Women and children who have sought refuge from the war and are coming back home for various reasons cannot be held hostage to business interests. Such actions and examples of inhumane treatment of Ukrainians at the EU border can be used by russian secret services to rile our countries up with this artificial conflict. We expect firm actions from our Polish counterparts to prevent such situations and solve the problem in general – Kubrakov emphasised. 

Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach is in touch with Polish Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Pawel Ganzazh and points out that, despite the suspension of the blockade by Polish hauliers, the situation at the border is becoming even more critical.

"Currently, six checkpoints on the Polish side of the border are blocked. The most critical situation is at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, where freight transport movement has stopped altogether. Humanitarian and perishable goods and fuel are not allowed through. This has a direct impact on our defence capabilities. Also, empty lorries travelling to get critically important goods cannot leave Ukraine through this border checkpoint.

They are forced to wait in a 15-kilometre-long queue for empty lorries at the Nyzhankovychi-Malhowice checkpoint, where registration in the electronic queue system has been temporarily suspended. Thus, drivers literally live on the road without normal conditions," Serhiy Derkach stressed.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Poland is in touch with the Polish Police and Border Guard around the clock and immediately responds to reports of attempts to block passenger transport.

Here is a reminder that the following routes are currently blocked for free truck traffic: Yahodyn-Dorohusk, Uhryniv-Dolhobyczów, Ustyluh-Zosin, Shehyni-Medyka, Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne, and Krakivets-Korczowa. Thanks to the eQueue service, there are no physical queues on the Ukrainian side of the border, while about 3,000 lorries are waiting on the road in Poland.

IC UAC according to the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine