Kiev has called on Poland to punish those responsible for spilling a load of Ukrainian grain on the border of the two countries over the weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said today.

Around 160 tonnes of Ukrainian grain was destroyed at a Polish railway station amid protests, which a senior Ukrainian official on Sunday described as an act of “impunity and irresponsibility”.

“Those who destroyed Ukrainian grain must be identified, neutralized and punished. Two friendly, civilized states are interested in this,” Kubrakov wrote on the X platform.

Polish farmers protesting what they say is unfair competition from Ukraine and European Union environmental rules have blocked border crossings with Ukraine as well as highways and deliberately scattered Ukrainian products from train cars.

Previous incidents of grain being scattered by trains occurred on the border with Ukraine last week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday it was important for Ukraine to maintain close ties with Poland, but Kiev was also ready to protect businesses hit by border blockades by Polish protesters.

“Unfortunately, the blockade continues,” Ukrainian border guard spokesman Andriy Demchenko told television.

“In total, 2,200 trucks are queuing on Polish soil and (Polish) farmers let several vehicles pass (in total) every hour from both directions. The most blocked are those trucks coming from Ukraine,” he said.

Ukraine has said the blockade has caused severe economic losses and is hampering its war effort.

He says cross-border traffic has increased because of the war with Russia and the fact that its main import and export routes through the Black Sea are blocked.

Farmers across Europe have been protesting, among other things, what they say is unfair competition from abroad, particularly from Ukraine, following the EU’s decision in 2022 not to impose tariffs on Ukrainian food imports due to the war with Russia.