Border blockade: most critical situation at Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint

This was reported on the ministry's website.

"A video in which a crowd of Polish protesters blocked the passage of buses with passengers is being shared on social networks. Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Oleksandr Kubrakov held urgent talks with Jacek Siewiera, head of the Polish National Security Bureau, on the inadmissibility of blocking the border, in particular, passenger transport," the statement reads.

According to the minister, blocking the border is a direct threat to the security of the country under defense.

"Women and children who have sought refuge from the war and are returning 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 special services to foment an artificial conflict between our countries. We expect concrete actions from our Polish colleagues to prevent such situations and solve the problem in general," Kubrakov emphasized.

At the same time, Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach noted that he is in touch with Polish Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Pawel Ganzazh. Despite the suspension of the blockade by Polish carriers, Derkach said, the situation at the border is becoming even more critical.

"Currently, 6 checkpoints are blocked on the Polish side of the border. The most critical situation is at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, where the movement of freight transport has stopped completely. Humanitarian and perishable goods and fuel are not allowed through. This has a direct impact on our defense capabilities. Also, empty trucks traveling for critical goods cannot leave Ukraine through this checkpoint. They are forced to wait in a 15-kilometer-long queue for empty trucks at the Nyzhankovychi - Malhowice checkpoint, where registration in the e-queue has been temporarily suspended. Thus, drivers are literally living on the road without normal conditions," emphasized Serhiy Derkach.

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

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has not received any information from the Polish side regarding the complete blocking of the border since February 20

"We have not received any information that other directions will be blocked. In total, there are 9 directions on the border with Poland, 6 of which are currently blocked or traffic is significantly complicated. Among them are the 4 largest checkpoints through which trucks weighing more than 7.5 tons can cross the border," said Andriy Demchenko, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service, during the telethon.

He also added that the three remaining directions have their own peculiarities: some of them are only for empty vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tons, while others are for smaller trucks in both directions.

• On February 18, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., protesters tried to block the railroad tracks at the Dorohusk railway station in Poland.