Over 1,000 trucks waiting to cross Belarusian-Polish border, even greater number stranded at Lithuanian border - State Border Committee

MINSK. Sept 19 (Interfax) - Over 1,000 outbound trucks are stranded at the Kukuryki checkpoint at the Belarusian-Polish border, the Belarusian State Border Committee said.

"The Kukuryki (Kozlovichi) Polish border checkpoint remains the busiest crossing point for trucks headed to the EU. As of 10 a.m., more than 1,000 trucks were waiting for their turn to cross into Poland," the committee said.

Poland has cleared 55% of the normal number of trucks over the past day, it said.

Checkpoints at the Lithuanian border are also congested: 1,150 trucks were waiting there as of 10 a.m., the committee said.

"The smallest number of trucks headed in that direction - 73 trucks out of 500 possible - has been cleared at the Medininkai (Kamenny Log) checkpoint. The Salcininkai (Benyakoni) checkpoint let 42% of the normal number of trucks cross into Lithuania," it said.

The situation is a bit better at the Latvian Paternieki checkpoint (Grigorovshchina), where 680 trucks are waiting to cross into the EU.

Poland has closed all checkpoints at the Belarusian border but Kukuryki (Kozlovichi) for trucks. The Terespol checkpoint (Brest) admits cars and buses only. The Paternieki checkpoint (Grigorovshchina) is working at the border with Latvia.

There are only two operating checkpoints at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, namely, Medininkai (Kamenny Log) and Salcininkai (Benyakoni). Lithuania closed the Sumskas (Losha) and Tverecius (Vidzy) checkpoints on August 18, 2023, followed by the closure of the Lavoriskes (Kotlovka) and Raigardas (Privalka) checkpoints on March 1, 2024.