More than 20,000 vehicles are stuck at the border with Ukraine

2023-11-09 19:08:00

“Currently more than 20,000 vehicles are blocked on both sides,” Ukrainian Reconstruction Minister Oleksandr Kubrakow said on Thursday. Trucks are particularly affected. The Ukrainian side did not disclose how many private vehicles were affected.

Ukraine respects the right to protest and is ready to solve the problem together, said Kubrakow. However, he also emphasized that the blockade by Polish demonstrators was disrupting logistics routes. This has already had an impact on the economy of Ukraine and the EU.

Stuck drivers cook on camping stoves.
Bild: YURIY DYACHYSHYN (AFP)

Lines that stretch for kilometers

Local Polish police told the AFP news agency that at the Hrebenne-Rawa Ruska border crossing, for example, there were around 500 trucks in a 40-kilometer-long queue. The waiting time to cross the border is around 160 hours.

Since Monday, dozens of Polish freight forwarding companies have been protesting against what they see as “unfair competition” from Ukrainian companies and blocking important border crossings. Organizers blame relaxed EU regulations for Ukrainian companies for the lack of sales. After the Russian attack on Ukraine, the EU suspended a number of requirements for border transport. According to Polish companies, this led to a whole wave of Ukrainian competitors entering the market.

Poland and Ukraine are traditionally close allies. Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Warsaw has been one of Kiev’s largest supporters and arms suppliers. Recently, however, disputes over Ukrainian grain exports had worsened relations.