Although the situation at the Luhamaa border checkpoint appears quiet and empty at first glance, virtual queues for crossing the border are actually very long. Frustration can be heard from the waiting area at the border, where several truck drivers have been left in limbo for weeks.

Vladislav, who transports medicines from Moldova to Russia, has now spent over a week in the Luhamaa waiting area.

"I already called my boss and told him he should come here with a car. That we could switch, and then I could go back home. He agreed, and he's coming here, so it'll be a bit easier for me. But I've seen men here who have been stuck for 26 days. We are people, not animals, it's very tough here," Vladislav said.

According to border officials, the extended wait times are due to the full customs control introduced a month ago.

"We conduct X-ray scans on vehicles, open them up and physically inspect them. If everything checks out, we can finish within 45 minutes, but if we need to go deeper, the inspection can take hours. We've even had cases where the inspection took several days," said Toomas Huik, head of the South Customs Checkpoint at the Tax and Customs Board.

Currently, at both southeastern border checkpoints, only one truck can cross into Russia every two hours, based on a reservation system.

"The first available time for trucks to book a slot is about three weeks from now. It's possible to book in advance, allowing companies to plan their shipments accordingly, so drivers don't have to wait here unnecessarily. We inform them when it's their turn," said Nele Tamm, head of the information monitoring group at the PPA's Southeast Border Checkpoint.

"I had a reservation for August 31, but I'm still waiting. My booking has been delayed by five days," said Dmitri, a truck driver from Poland.

On Thursday (September 5), Polish drivers transporting chocolate and confectionery products were passing the time by foraging for mushrooms in the Luhamaa forests and preparing a cheap communal lunch. Valentin had a reservation for Tuesday (September 3) but has yet to cross the border.

"Yesterday, the delay was about 95 or 100 hours. And today, they are saying 118, 117 hours. So it's increasing day by day. We don't know what will happen next," Valentin said.

Today, the virtual queue page showed a delay of 276 hours at Koidula and 119 hours at Luhamaa. According to the truck drivers, the pre-booking system is not functioning properly at the moment.

"They might as well close the border completely, and then everyone would know that it's not working here, and they could somehow plan their lives accordingly," said Valentin.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!