Poland–Ukraine border
Poland’s border with Ukraine, which became the main escape route when Russia invaded in 2022: millions of refugees crossed into Poland, most famously at Medyka. Later, Polish farmers angry at cheap Ukrainian grain blockaded the same crossings.
Written from cited sourcesLast checked 29 September 2026Suggest a correction
See it on the globe:Poland →Ukraine →
The escape route
After Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Poland became the main country of arrival for refugees. In early March more than 100,000 people were crossing each day, and by late May more than 3.5 million had entered Poland; over 1.1 million had registered with the Polish authorities, 94 percent of them women and children. Many were moving back and forth across the border to visit family or check on property.[2]
The largest crossing point was Medyka, a small town 85 km west of Lviv. Its mayor, Marek Iwasieczko, said the town would help even if it had to learn to live with less.[1]
“These refugees have lost almost everything. We need to help them. Even if that means we’ll have to learn to live with less.”[1]
Grain at the border
In February 2024 Polish farmers, protesting against imports of Ukrainian food and against EU environmental rules, blocked about 100 roads to the Ukrainian border and spilled Ukrainian grain at Medyka. They said the imports were flooding the market and pushing down prices. Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych, condemned the spilling of grain and called it a lack of respect for Ukrainian farmers working under Russian aggression.[3]
Timeline
More borders
Sources
- [1]Polish border town welcomes refugees from Ukraine, but will itself need help · UNHCR · 16 March 2022
- [2]
- [3]Polish farmers block Ukraine’s border in protest against grain imports · Al Jazeera (news agencies) · 20 February 2024
Map geometry from Natural Earth via world-atlas. See credits.