Hundreds of drivers rushed to leave the European Union before a ban on their vehicles went into effect on Saturday, as Russian and Belarusian trucks formed a massive queue near the Poland-Belarus border.
The long line stretched 50 miles in Poland at one point, with some people waiting up to 33 hours before they were processed.
A column of trucks were stuck in traffic near the border crossing on Saturday.
The truck driver from Belarus said in the video that they stood in a queue in Bobrowniki and were turned back. That is the situation. I don't know what is going to happen as I drive with the load.
According to The Financial Times, some drivers were left waiting for up to 56 hours at the Bobrowniki checkpoint.
—NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 17, 2022
There were about 10,000 Russian and Belarusian vehicles in the EU before the deadline, according to a senior executive at aGPS. The outlet reported that there were long lines at the border crossing.
The EU banned Russian and Belarusian trucks from carrying goods in the bloc because of the invasion of Ukraine. Haulers carrying food products, humanitarian aid, and energy have been exempt from the sanctions.
The waiting times for trucks in Poland were reduced to 12 hours on Sunday. With the deadline passed, it is not clear what action these drivers will face, although their vehicles may be seized.
The head of Poland's Association of International Road Carriers said that at least 3,000 Polish trucks in Russia and Belarus may be at risk of being retaliated against.
The European Union will retaliate against the Russian and Belarusian trucks if they are attacked at the border.
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