(Reuters) – A third Ukrainian truck driver has died in blockades at the Polish border staged by Polish truckers, Ukraine’s Suspilne public broadcaster said on Saturday.
Suspilne, quoting an official from Ukraine’s international trucking association, said the driver took ill at the Krakivets-Korczowa crossing — one of four points affected by the protests. He died while being taken to a hospital.
Suspilne said two truckers had died last month after becoming snared in the blockades.
The protesting truckers say Ukrainian drivers are undercutting their prices. Kyiv says the volume of wartime traffic makes a truck permit system impracticable.
Polish drivers have been blocking crossings since Nov. 6, demanding that the European Union reinstate a system requiring Ukrainian companies to secure permits to operate in the bloc and the same for European truckers to enter Ukraine.
One of the crossing points, Jahodyn-Dorohusk, was reopened to traffic this week, but could again be closed after a court ruled that a Polish mayor could not ban truckers from holding a protest in his commune.
Truckers were likely to resume their protest there on Monday. The mayor acted to stop the blockade on grounds that it would hurt local jobs.
Slovak truckers staged similar protests at border points this week, but ended their action on Friday.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Alistair Bell)
