Ukrainian carriers launch counter-demonstrations at Polish border

Illustrative purposes only: Ukrainian drivers wait near their trucks, blocked by Polish protesters near the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing Yahodyn-Dorohusk on Nov. 25, 2023, in Yahodyn, Poland.(Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Ukrainian carriers on Feb. 20 began demonstrations at the Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, Medyka-Shehyni, and Krakivets-Korczowa crossings at the Polish border, calling for an end of the blockade by Polish farmers, Suspilne reported.

Protests at the Polish-Ukrainian border erupted earlier in February as Polish farmers opposed the imports of Ukrainian agricultural products and the EU’s Green Deal. Initially restricting the movement of trucks at six crossings, the organizers said they would extend the protest along the entire border on Feb. 20.

Ukrainian truckers started their demonstrations at around 12 p.m., plastering their vehicles with inscriptions in English and Ukrainian saying, “Stop the blockade – let Ukrainian drivers return home” or “Ukraine lose – Poland lose!”

Suspilne described the event as peaceful.

The head of the Ukrainian Transport Union in Lviv Oblast said that Polish trucks would be allowed into Ukraine with the same delay as Ukrainian drivers trying to enter Poland.

Six crossings remain blocked by Polish farmers as of Feb. 20: Yahodyn-Dorohusk, Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv, Zosin-Ustyluh, Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne, Medyka-Shehyni, and Korczowa-Krakovets.

The protesters have also begun blocking roads across Poland and even further stifled the traffic at the crossings.

Ukraine’s Border Guard Service spokesperson, Andrii Demchenko, told Hromadske that at the Medyka-Shehyni crossing, the Polish farmers had halted the movement of trucks completely without providing a deadline for the strike.

All traffic is to be blocked at the Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv until 5 p.m. on Feb. 20, while at Zosin-Ustyluh, the movement of trucks, buses, and passenger cars – with the exception of humanitarian aid – will be restricted between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Demchenko said.

At the Korczowa-Krakovets crossing, all trucks leaving Poland will be blocked until 9 p.m., but this measure will reportedly not impact critical goods, passenger cars, or buses.

All vehicles have been blocked in both directions at the Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne crossing since 1 p.m., except for critical goods and humanitarian aid, Demchenko said.

At the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing, protesters plan to completely block the movement of trucks in both directions until 7 p.m.

Demchenko noted that Polish border guards have not provided any information on a possible blockade of railway crossings.

Earlier on Feb. 20, Polish farmers briefly blocked the railway track at the Medyka-Shehyni crossing and dumped grain from a train.