Infrastructure Ministry And Russia’s Transport Ministry Decide To Unblock Movement Of Transit Trucks

Russia will allow the cargo trucks that are stranded in Russia or on the Russian border in Asian countries to return to Ukraine. In turn, Ukraine will allow Russian cargo trucks traveling from the European Union to Russia to pass through Ukrainian territory. This decision was made during negotiations between the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure and the Russian Ministry of Transport, the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure announced in a statement.

As a result, more than 600 Ukrainian drivers whose food and fuel for heating their vehicles are finishing will return home, according to the statement.

The "going home" regime is in effect from 16 February to 25 February, inclusive. That is, the more than 600 Ukrainian trucks that have been stopped on the territory of Russia and those that are traveling from Asian countries to Ukraine will be able to travel to Ukraine unobstructed during this period. Similarly, about 600 Russian trucks will be able to return to Russia from the European Union.

Ukraine will escort columns of Russian trucks to the border with Russia or Belarus, the statement said.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure called on civil activists not to interfere with the movement of Russian trucks traveling to Russia in the next 10 days.

According to a press release by the ministries, in the past week, more than 350 Ukrainian trucks have been stopped in Russia in the past week and more than 300 are waiting in Asia for permission to return to Ukraine via Russia (this is the only way for them to return to Ukraine). Similarly, activists have stopped about 60 trucks on the territory of Ukraine and 500 trucks are waiting on the border of Ukraine and the European Union for permission to return to Russia via the territory of Ukraine.

As reported, Russia unilaterally banned the transit of Ukrainian trucks through its territory on 14 February. In response, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers decided to suspend Ukrainian transit permits for Russian trucks on the following day, pending resolution of the situation.