In a tragic turn of events, a second Ukrainian truck driver has passed away while waiting at the border between Ukraine and Poland. The blockade, which has been ongoing for over three days, has caused immense frustration and distress for the drivers stranded at the border.

The first fatality occurred on November 11 when a 54-year-old Ukrainian truck driver died in a parking lot near the Dorohusk-Yahodyn checkpoint. Regrettably, on Wednesday, news surfaced regarding the death of another driver, aged 56, who was found lifeless in the cab of his vehicle in a parking lot in the Polish town of Korczowa.

The ongoing blockade, organized by Polish transport companies, is a protest against what they perceive as "unfair" competition from Ukrainian truckers. The blockade initially began on November 6 at three major border crossing points with Ukraine and has now expanded to the Medyka crossing in southern Poland as talks between the governments of Poland and Ukraine have failed to find a resolution.

The situation at the border has escalated in recent days as Polish transport company owners, supported by Poland's far-right Confederation Liberty and Independence alliance, have garnered additional backing from local farmers. The farmers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the low grain prices caused by Ukrainian imports and have joined the protest in solidarity.

Roman Kondrow, the leader of the farmers' protest, stated, "We are here at the border in Medyka today, starting a three-day warning protest against the situation in agriculture and in transport." The farmers are demanding subsidies and preferential loans to support their businesses and have now threatened to escalate the blockade by completely shutting down the Medyka crossing starting from Monday.

Although the organizers have assured that passenger traffic, as well as humanitarian and military aid, will be allowed to pass through, the blockades have caused significant delays in the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid, as reported by Kyiv.

Despite efforts by the Polish and Ukrainian infrastructure ministries, along with representatives from the European Union, talks with the transport companies have thus far failed to yield a resolution. The consequences of the ongoing blockade are overwhelming, with approximately 3,000 trucks currently being held up. At the Korczowa checkpoint alone, around a thousand trucks are waiting to cross the border, along with 750 trucks at Dorohusk and approximately 620 at the Hrebenne crossing.

On Wednesday, organizers announced that the blockage in Dorohusk, originally planned to end on December 3, has been extended for an additional two months following an agreement with local authorities. The extension only exacerbates the issues faced by stranded drivers and raises concerns about the lasting impact of the blockade on the transportation sector.

As the standoff between Polish transport companies, Ukrainian truckers, and local farmers intensifies, it is crucial for authorities to find a swift resolution to address the concerns of all parties involved. The tragic deaths of two Ukrainian truck drivers amid this deadlock serve as a stark reminder of the human toll that has resulted from the border blockade.