The State border and customs authorities of Lithuania have faced persistent congestion at the border crossing with Belarus, a situation that has proven difficult to alleviate quickly. According to a representative of the State Border Protection Service within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania, the problem is not simply a matter of more staff on duty. While officers are deployed and working diligently around the clock, the flow of trucks remains stubbornly high, and the number of waiting vehicles has not shown a meaningful decline. The official emphasized that even a doubling of the workforce would not translate into faster throughput because the physical border infrastructure itself cannot accommodate more trucks at any given moment. This constraint points to a fundamental bottleneck in the border system that goes beyond staffing levels and requires broader logistical and infrastructural considerations to resolve. (Source: Belarusian State Border Committee)
The front line at the border has been a scene of long lines and slow movement, with the impact felt by operators, drivers, and businesses on both sides. Reports indicate that while customs and border police units are operating with urgency, the queue length persists. The officer described a tireless routine: continuous checks, documentation verification, and coordination with cross-border authorities to manage the situation, all while trying to minimize disruption to legitimate trade. The reality on the ground is that traffic volumes fluctuate, but there is a persistent baseline of freight movement that maintains the backlog under current conditions. (Source: Belarusian State Border Committee)
On the morning of February 25, approximately 570 trucks were queued in the village of Medininkai, and overall, more than a thousand trucks were reported to be waiting at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. This accumulation reflects sustained pressure on European import and export corridors that pass through this sector, compounded by periodic pauses and slowdowns at the border. Logistics operators have had to adapt by adjusting departure windows, rerouting certain shipments, and implementing more conservative scheduling to mitigate the risk of extended delays that could affect cold chains, perishable goods, and time-sensitive freight. The situation underscores the interconnected nature of cross-border trade and the cascading effects when a single border link experiences congestion. (Source: Belarusian State Border Committee)
Further context comes from events surrounding the cross-border point known as Bobrovniki on the Polish side. After the closure of that checkpoint, there was a notable shift in freight patterns as vehicles entering EU countries from Belarus encountered increased scrutiny and a higher volume of border checks. Officials from the Belarusian side reported that the closure contributed to a tenfold rise in the accumulation of freight trucks at adjacent border routes, intensifying the pressure on neighboring states and their border control capacity. This development highlights how changes at one segment of the border can ripple through the entire region, affecting traffic distribution, processing times, and the overall efficiency of cross-border trade flows. (Source: Belarusian State Border Committee)
Experts in border logistics note that addressing the backlog will require not only more personnel but also enhancements to border processing capacity and coordination among international partners. Potential avenues include accelerating documentation procedures, upgrading inspection facilities, expanding waiting areas, and refining the scheduling of cross-border movements to reduce peak strain periods. Stakeholders are watching closely to identify practical steps that can relieve congestion without compromising security or the integrity of customs controls. In the meantime, drivers and companies are urged to plan for longer-than-expected wait times and to maintain flexibility in their routing and timing to navigate these persistent border bottlenecks. (Source: Belarusian State Border Committee)