Due to sanctions imposed on Russia, truck drivers have to wait several days to cross the Latvia-Russia border (in both directions). At the beginning of April, more than 700 vehicles were constantly waiting in line at the Terehova crossing point. The lines have only shrunken marginally since then.
The line of trucks is more than two kilometers long with 400 to 600 vehicles in it. Drivers have to wait three or four days without knowing how quickly the line will move.
“You know, we're forced to wait, we've got a job like that. Sanctions – it's politics, but we suffer. They don't care when they sit in their offices,” said one of the drivers, waiting in line. “When you go into the shop, you want fresh fruit, vegetables, not ones that have stood on the border for days. But there they stand – fruit, vegetables, flowers, meat,” said another.
Aivars Šarkovskis, customs supervisor of Terehova's customs control post, said: "This is linked to sanctions due to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, and many carriers were forced to change their cargo routes, towards the European Union [..]."
Source: eng.lsm.lv