Long-running trade frictions between Polish and Ukrainian hauliers came to a head at 13:00 on 6 November 2025, when three groups of Polish truck-drivers simultaneously began obstructing freight lanes at the Dorohusk–Yahodyn, Korczowa–Krakovets and Hrebenne–Rava Ruska crossings. Protest organisers are angry that, since June 2022, Ukrainian carriers have been allowed to enter the EU without transport permits under the so-called “visa-free road transport” deal. They argue the measure floods the market with lower-cost Ukrainian trucks and squeezes Polish operators out of lucrative east-west lanes.
Under the blockade rules, only one goods vehicle per hour may pass in each direction; exemptions apply to humanitarian, military, live-animal and perishable loads. Passenger cars and buses are not affected, but the stoppage has already pushed waiting times for outbound trucks at Dorohusk beyond 40 hours. Polish Border Guard officials confirmed that queues on the Polish side stretched 25–30 km by nightfall, while the Ukrainian Customs Service reported 2,300 lorries idling on access roads.
![Polish truckers launch border blockade with Ukraine, slowing cargo traffic]()
The strike is authorised by local authorities until 3 January 2026, giving drivers a legal window of almost two months. Protest leaders demand the re-introduction of bilateral permit quotas, a dedicated EU fund to offset operating costs, and priority lanes for Polish trucks at eastern borders. Warsaw’s Ministry of Infrastructure says the demands fall under EU competence and is urging dialogue in Kyiv and Brussels.
For multinational shippers the disruption revives memories of the 2023 grain-export protests that paralysed the same crossings. Logistics specialists warn that time-sensitive automotive and e-commerce supply chains that rely on ‘solidarity lanes’ through Poland will need to re-route via Slovakia or the Baltic ports, adding at least three days and higher costs. Freight forwarders are advising clients to shift to rail via the Hrubieszów–Izov corridor or to short-sea options from Constanța until the standoff eases.
The blockade tests EU unity at a time when the Union is trying to keep Ukraine’s export corridors open. It also puts pressure on the new Tusk government, which campaigns on restoring good neighbourly relations but must balance that promise against the domestic haulage lobby’s electoral clout.
Under the blockade rules, only one goods vehicle per hour may pass in each direction; exemptions apply to humanitarian, military, live-animal and perishable loads. Passenger cars and buses are not affected, but the stoppage has already pushed waiting times for outbound trucks at Dorohusk beyond 40 hours. Polish Border Guard officials confirmed that queues on the Polish side stretched 25–30 km by nightfall, while the Ukrainian Customs Service reported 2,300 lorries idling on access roads.
The strike is authorised by local authorities until 3 January 2026, giving drivers a legal window of almost two months. Protest leaders demand the re-introduction of bilateral permit quotas, a dedicated EU fund to offset operating costs, and priority lanes for Polish trucks at eastern borders. Warsaw’s Ministry of Infrastructure says the demands fall under EU competence and is urging dialogue in Kyiv and Brussels.
For multinational shippers the disruption revives memories of the 2023 grain-export protests that paralysed the same crossings. Logistics specialists warn that time-sensitive automotive and e-commerce supply chains that rely on ‘solidarity lanes’ through Poland will need to re-route via Slovakia or the Baltic ports, adding at least three days and higher costs. Freight forwarders are advising clients to shift to rail via the Hrubieszów–Izov corridor or to short-sea options from Constanța until the standoff eases.
The blockade tests EU unity at a time when the Union is trying to keep Ukraine’s export corridors open. It also puts pressure on the new Tusk government, which campaigns on restoring good neighbourly relations but must balance that promise against the domestic haulage lobby’s electoral clout.
