Lithuania keeping trucks from Russia waiting at border for hours - Russian customs

KALININGRAD. March 12 (Interfax) - The Lithuanian customs authorities are seriously complicating truck traffic from the Kaliningrad region via the Chernyshevskoye checkpoint, the press service for Russia's Kaliningrad regional customs told Interfax on Tuesday.

"In recent days, Lithuania has markedly decreased [the rate of clearance for] trucks from the Kaliningrad region. For instance, not a single truck was cleared between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. today," the press service said.

Only 32 vehicles crossed into Lithuania during the day, which is much fewer than the checkpoint can process. Sixty trucks are waiting to leave Russia, and 25 are parked on neutral ground, having been cleared by Kaliningrad customs.

In turn, the Federal State Directorate for the Construction and Operation of Border Facilities (Rosgranstroy) said on the Telegram channel tasked with monitoring the electronic line of trucks moving through Chernyshevskoye that the neighboring country had significantly limited admissions.

The lag behind the time reserved in the electronic line for crossing the border is 251 hours. Trucks which were supposed to cross the border on March 1 will do so on Tuesday, March 12.

Lines of trucks began to form in Chernyshevskoye at the border with Lithuania on an almost regular basis in summer 2023.

The electronic line for trucks bound for Lithuania via Chernyshevskoye was introduced on September 1. Trucks are often stranded because of delays on the Lithuanian side.

Lithuania has been tightening control over cargo transit to and from Russia and Belarus in line with the European Commission's sanctions imposed on both countries.

Currently, Chernyshevskoye is the only checkpoint clearing trucks on the Russian-Lithuanian border. Truck traffic to and from Russia has tangibly decreased under the anti-Russian sanctions.