The Ukrainian grain dumped by Polish farmers from a train at the Medyka-Shehyni crossing was headed for Germany, Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry said on Feb. 20, adding that it could not end up in Polish markets.
The situation at the border continues to escalate after Polish farmers blocked six border crossings earlier in February. Media published a video on Feb. 20 showing the protesters spilling grain from a freight car at Medyka-Shehyni.
According to the Infrastructure Ministry, the protesters spilled about four metric tons of grain from two grain freight cars waiting to be reloaded onto the narrow gauge. These agricultural products were in transit to Germany.
All Ukrainian freight cars are checked at the border by Polish regulatory authorities and sealed. This makes it impossible for Ukrainian grain to enter the Polish market, the ministry stressed.
"Nobody benefits from spoiled grain. Such 'actions' are a loss for everyone, except for the Russians, who are interested in destroying our countries and dividing civilized countries," Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.
"We strongly condemn the spilling of Ukrainian grain by protesters in Medyka. The police should react decisively and punish those who break the law," Vasyl Zvarych, Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland, commented on the incident.
"It is also a lack of respect for the work of Ukrainian farmers during Russian aggression."
Dominic Culverwell
