Two Ukrainian-Polish border crossings operating at 35% of their capacity - Ukrainian Restoration Ministry

MOSCOW. Feb 6 (Interfax) - After Polish protesters lifted the blockade from the Ukrainian borders, two crossings are currently working at 35% of the capacity agreed upon between Ukraine and Poland, and only the Yagodin-Dorohusk crossing is operating at over 60% of that level, Ukrainian media have reported with reference to the Ukrainian Restoration Ministry following a Polish-Ukrainian taskforce meeting.

Trucks carrying foodstuffs may have to spend over ten days queueing to cross the border, it said.

After the protests on the Ukrainian-Polish border were halted on January 17, nearly 20,000 trucks have crossed into Poland from Ukraine through three checkpoints, compared to 15,000 trucks that left Ukraine via three checkpoints in December 2023, the ministry said.

"We're continuing a dialogue with our Polish partners to prevent the resumption of the border blockade by truckers. After the border was unblocked, the queues [of trucks] departing Ukraine have vanished. At the same time, questions persist as to the effective implementation of the memorandums on throughput capacity of the three unblocked crossing points," Deputy Restoration Minister Sergei Derkach said.

The Krakovets-Korczowa and Rava Ruska-Hrebenne crossings are operating at only 35% of the capacity agreed with Poland, while the Yagodin-Dorohusk crossing's operations have exceeded 60% of that level, Derkach said. Moreover, the number of trucks crossing into Poland from Ukraine via Yagodin-Dorohusk has even topped the earlier agreed daily limit of 700 vehicles in the past few days, he said.

Ukraine is also concerned about the fact that trucks carrying foodstuffs that require phyto-sanitary and veterinary control by Poland currently have to wait ten days or even longer to cross the border, the ministry said.