The log-jam on Poland’s southeastern frontier shows little sign of easing. According to Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, more than 2,100 heavy-goods vehicles were still waiting on 17 December at three key crossings—Shehyni-Medyka, Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne and Krakivets-Korczowa—because of Polish hauliers’ and farmers’ protests over Ukrainian competition and agricultural imports. While the Yahodyn-Dorohusk post reopened on 11 December, throughput there remains far below pre-blockade levels.
Drivers report waits of up to six days, with long queues stretching 15–27 kilometres into Poland. Protest organisers are allowing only one or two trucks an hour, prioritising humanitarian aid, refrigerated cargo and ADR shipments. Polish police confirm that the Dorohusk line alone is roughly 600 vehicles long.
For companies whose staff now face unexpected rerouting or prolonged stays in transit zones, VisaHQ can expedite any necessary Polish or regional visas and transit permits. Carriers can upload documents online and receive rapid support through the Warsaw office—details are available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/. Eliminating paperwork delays frees logistics teams to focus on route planning rather than red tape.
![Queues of 2,000+ Trucks Persist as Polish–Ukrainian Border Blockades Drag On]()
The disruption is inflicting serious costs on supply chains. Automotive plants in Silesia and Małopolska have moved to just-in-time airfreight for Ukrainian components, while fruit exporters in Podkarpackie warn that missed Christmas-market deadlines could wipe out seasonal profits. Several multinationals have invoked force-majeure clauses in vendor contracts.
Warsaw says it sympathises with domestic carriers but faces EU pressure to restore Schengen-area free movement. The government is exploring a quota-based permit system for Ukrainian trucks, yet Kyiv rejects any rollback of the zero-permit regime agreed with Brussels. Meanwhile, Slovakia’s hauliers have threatened to join the blockades, raising the risk of a broader regional shutdown.
Companies should reroute via Hungary or Romania where possible, file advance T-codes to secure scarce eQueue slots, and brief drivers on potential confrontations at picket lines. Insurers are starting to classify the Medyka and Hrebenne corridors as “high-risk”, triggering premium surcharges from 1 January.
Drivers report waits of up to six days, with long queues stretching 15–27 kilometres into Poland. Protest organisers are allowing only one or two trucks an hour, prioritising humanitarian aid, refrigerated cargo and ADR shipments. Polish police confirm that the Dorohusk line alone is roughly 600 vehicles long.
For companies whose staff now face unexpected rerouting or prolonged stays in transit zones, VisaHQ can expedite any necessary Polish or regional visas and transit permits. Carriers can upload documents online and receive rapid support through the Warsaw office—details are available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/. Eliminating paperwork delays frees logistics teams to focus on route planning rather than red tape.
The disruption is inflicting serious costs on supply chains. Automotive plants in Silesia and Małopolska have moved to just-in-time airfreight for Ukrainian components, while fruit exporters in Podkarpackie warn that missed Christmas-market deadlines could wipe out seasonal profits. Several multinationals have invoked force-majeure clauses in vendor contracts.
Warsaw says it sympathises with domestic carriers but faces EU pressure to restore Schengen-area free movement. The government is exploring a quota-based permit system for Ukrainian trucks, yet Kyiv rejects any rollback of the zero-permit regime agreed with Brussels. Meanwhile, Slovakia’s hauliers have threatened to join the blockades, raising the risk of a broader regional shutdown.
Companies should reroute via Hungary or Romania where possible, file advance T-codes to secure scarce eQueue slots, and brief drivers on potential confrontations at picket lines. Insurers are starting to classify the Medyka and Hrebenne corridors as “high-risk”, triggering premium surcharges from 1 January.
