Traffic Halted at Two Belarus Border Crossings as Security Measures Tighten

Travellers and freight operators faced fresh disruption on 25 July 2026 after Polish authorities extended the suspension of traffic at the Połowce and Sławatycze road crossings on the Belarus frontier. The notice, published on the official Granica.gov.pl portal, cites “continued threats to public order” and keeps the two posts closed to all categories of vehicles until further notice. The closures form part of a rolling set of temporary controls first introduced in 2024 amid hybrid-pressure tactics from Minsk. While major cargo corridors such as Kuźnica – Bruzhi remain open with enhanced screening, the suspension of Połowce and Sławatycze channels traffic through already congested Koroszczyn (Kukuryki) and Terespol. On Friday afternoon wait times for outbound trucks topped six hours, according to Customs’ SOC-T tracking system. Logistics providers exporting automative parts and agri-food products to the Baltic states report longer transit times and higher fuel costs, prompting some multinationals to reroute via Lithuania despite a 120-kilometre detour. Business travellers are also affected: the closest open passenger crossing, Terespol, has introduced ad-hoc ID checks and vehicle searches, adding up to two hours to the Warsaw–Minsk drive. The latest move reinforces Warsaw’s hard-line stance ahead of autumn military exercises in the Suwałki corridor. Analysts note that under Schengen rules, member states may reintroduce internal border checks for renewable six-month windows when facing serious security threats. For companies rotating staff between Poland and Belarus, immigration advisers recommend verifying that alternative crossing points are listed in posted-worker notifications and that drivers carry contingency invitations in case of redirection. With harvest-season trade set to peak in August, the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure is in talks with carriers to extend opening hours at Kuźnica and Koroszczyn. However, officials stress that the Połowce and Sławatycze bans will remain until Belarus “ceases activities destabilising the border region,” leaving no immediate timeline for normalisation.