A planned protest by Polish truck drivers may cause delays for cargo trucks at a key Ukraine-Poland border crossing starting May 12, Ukrainian border officials said Sunday, May 11.
The protest is expected at the Dorohusk checkpoint on the Polish side, across from Ukraine’s Yagodin crossing. According to Polish authorities, protesters may limit cargo truck movement to one vehicle per hour in each direction.
Passenger buses and trucks carrying humanitarian aid will not be affected and will be allowed to pass freely. The protest could last up to four months, officials said.
As of now, traffic is moving normally. Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service urged drivers to consider possible delays when planning to cross at Yagodin and said it would provide updates on the situation.
This is not the first such disruption. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Polish truckers and farmers have staged at least three major blockades of the border, protesting what they see as unfair competition from Ukrainian carriers.
In May 2023, Polish haulers blocked the Yagodin-Dorohusk crossing for over two weeks, demanding the cancellation of permit-free transport for Ukrainian drivers.
From November 2023 through January 2024, protests spread to multiple key crossings, including Hrebenne, Dorohusk, Korczowa, and later Medyka.
Between February and April 2024, Polish protesters blocked cargo traffic at several border crossings with Ukraine, demanding the Polish government withdraw from the European Green Deal and halt the import of Ukrainian agricultural products.
More recently, in April 2024, Polish farmers blocked traffic at the Yagodin and Rava-Ruska checkpoints, allowing only limited movement of trucks.
Additionally, since April 15, 2023, Poland has banned the import of grain, including wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower, from Ukraine.