Kiev says Polish protesters tried to block railroad shipments

MOSCOW. Feb 20 (Interfax) - Polish protesters attempted to block the shipment of Ukrainian freight by rail by blocking access routes to terminals at the Yagodin-Dorohusk and Izov-Hrubieszow border crossings, Ukrainian media have reported with reference to the national railway operator Ukrainian Railways.

The company said in its report on the transshipment of grain at western border crossings that the risk of such incidents persisted.

"There have been attempts in Poland to block the transfer of cargo by railway transport at the Dorohusk-Yagodin and Hrubieszow-Izov crossings (the blocking of access routes to certain terminals). Polish law enforcement officials responded appropriately to such attempts. Nothing is preventing the transfer of cargo now. There is the risk that such incidents could happen again," Ukrainian Railways said.

Ukrainian operators have reoriented grain traffic by rail from western borders to the Greater Odessa ports. The volume of grain freights transferred at the borders with Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania has declined, it said.

Ukrainian Railways said earlier that protesters blocked passenger train No. 119 en route from Kiev to Chelm carrying 260 passengers on February 18.

The Ukrainian Restoration Ministry also responded to a video circulated via social media in which Polish protesters block the passage of buses with passengers. Restoration Minister Alexander Kubrakov met with Polish National Security Bureau chief Jazek Siewiera for urgent negotiations. Kubrakov said blocking the border, especially to passenger transport, was unacceptable.