Poles block three checkpoints on border with Ukraine: 1,400 trucks in queues

Andriy Demchenko, a spokesman for the State Border Guard Service, said this on the air of the United News nationwide telethon, Espreso reports.

"The blocking of three directions continues - Rava-Ruska, Yahodyn and Uhryniv. And in fact, at all three of these checkpoints, Polish farmers do not allow trucks to enter Poland at all, while several trucks per hour are allowed to enter Ukraine," Demchenko said.

According to him, the Yahodyn checkpoint is the largest infrastructure area on the border with Poland for the passage of trucks. In particular, it can handle 1,200-1,400 trucks per day. However, only 70 trucks passed through to Ukraine over the past day.

Demchenko noted that the total queue at these three border crossings is a bit over 400 trucks.

In addition, the SBGS spokesperson added that there are also queues at previously unblocked areas. This is especially noticeable at the Krakivets and Shehyni checkpoints. About 550 trucks are waiting at the former as of this morning, and about 450 trucks are waiting near Shehyni.

What is known about the protests on the Ukrainian-Polish border

On February 7, Polish farmers sent an official notice to resume strikes on the border with Ukraine. The blocking of the Dorohusk-Yahodyn checkpoint began on February 9. The protest was approved by local authorities until March 9.

Earlier, the Polish farmers' union Solidarity announced a general strike across the country on February 9. At the time, it was noted that it would begin with the blockade of all checkpoints on the border with Ukraine, as well as the blocking of roads and highways in certain regions.

The reason for the resumption of the protests is simple: according to one of the organizers of the action, Roman Kondruv, it is because the authorities have done nothing about the problems of technical grain from Ukraine since the previous actions.

On February 12, at the Ukrainian-Polish border, near the Yaрodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, Poles poured grain from Ukrainian trucks onto the ground.

On February 20, they promised to block all border crossings with Ukraine for a month. Ukrainian carriers held their own peaceful protest in response to the actions of Polish farmers. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine stated that it had not received any information from the Polish side regarding the complete blocking of the border. In response to the Polish blockade, Ukrainian carriers are preparing a protest at three checkpoints.

On February 20, Polish farmers on the border with Ukraine blocked the railroad and poured grain out of a freight car. Later it turned out that it was headed to Germany.

On the evening of February 20, Polish protesters eased traffic restrictions near the border with Ukraine at two checkpoints, including Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, and began allowing cars to pass through.

Poland's Consul General in Lviv condemned the border blockade and apologized to Ukraine, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal later said that Ukraine and Poland were "ready for reasonable compromises" on negotiations on the situation on the border.

Polish protesters temporarily stopped blocking the Ustyluh-Zosyn checkpoint after blocking it the day before.

On February 25, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that Poland had already brought the first offenders on the Ukrainian-Polish border to justice, and that they faced imprisonment.

On March 4, it was reported that Ukraine had lost about UAH 8 billion in customs payments, and businesses had lost more than EUR 1.5 billion due to border blockades by Polish protesters.