Yahodyn and Ustyluh border crossings temporarily suspended due to threat of attacks — Demchenko

In recent days, border crossing operations at the Yahodyn and Ustyluh checkpoints in Volyn region have been suspended due to the threat of attacks, with the Polish side also temporarily halting border operations.

Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, said this during a television broadcast, according to Ukrinform.

"The Polish side also suspends border crossing operations when the Ukrainian side reports that, due to the threat of attacks or an air raid alert, Ukrainian checkpoints in a particular direction have been temporarily closed. If we are talking about the border with Poland over the past few days, this has concerned the Volyn region, specifically the Yahodyn and Ustyluh directions," the spokesperson said.

Demchenko also noted that there are other sections of Ukraine's border, including the borders with Romania and Moldova in Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, and Odesa regions, where border crossing operations are also temporarily suspended during air raid alerts. This also occurred over the previous day.

"The procedure on the Ukrainian side is the same regardless of which section of the border we are talking about: when border crossing operations are suspended, people are dispersed from the checkpoint as quickly as possible to prevent crowds and reduce the risk of people being killed or injured if a strike occurs. As we can see, the Polish side takes essentially the same steps to ensure safety at checkpoints on its territory. During the dispersal, people who have already completed the necessary procedures can be quickly received by the Polish side," Demchenko said.

The State Border Guard Service spokesperson clarified to an Ukrinform correspondent that people who have not yet entered the checkpoint and are waiting in their vehicles in line must also disperse.

He added that when an air raid alert is declared, border crossing operations at checkpoints will not be carried out. Vehicles are therefore advised to move as far away from the border line as possible, as strikes on areas adjacent to the checkpoint cannot be ruled out.

As Ukrinform reported, on the night of September 13, a gas station near the Yahodyn checkpoint on the border with Poland was damaged in a Russian attack in Volyn region, as was a locomotive near the Polish border. The Russian attack on the Yahodyn checkpoint was made possible by Belarus once again activating repeaters that help Russian drones penetrate deeper into Ukrainian territory.