From September 20, 2026, the movement of buses from Ukraine to Poland through the Shehyni – Medyka border crossing will be suspended. This was announced by Ukraine's Ministry of Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport in its official Telegram channel, citing information from the Polish side. All regular and irregular bus routes heading toward Poland will be redirected to other border checkpoints.
Reason: large-scale repairs on the Polish side
According to the ministry, repair works on the Polish side of the Shehyni – Medyka crossing will begin on September 20, making it impossible to process and let through passenger transport under normal conditions. This is why the Polish side has decided to temporarily close this section of the border to buses. As clarified by the ministry, this arrangement is expected to last until approximately November 2027 — that is, for more than a year.
What this means for carriers and passengers
The ministry emphasized that regular routes will continue to operate, taking the changes into account: carriers are advised to register in advance in the queue at alternative checkpoints. The ministry's message included a direct request: "We ask carriers to take the changes into account when planning routes to Poland from September 20." This means that schedules of international bus routes that passed through Shehyni – Medyka will be adjusted, and travel time for passengers may increase due to the need to cross the border at a different location.
Context: delays had already been recorded since June
Problems on this route began back in the summer. According to RBC-Ukraine, from June 15, 2026, the processing and passage of buses at Shehyni – Medyka had been carried out with significant delays due to the start of repair works. At that time, Ukraine and Poland agreed not to restrict bus traffic during the summer phase of the repairs, in order to minimize inconvenience for passengers. However, as the current decision shows, the scale of the works turned out to be significantly larger, and the temporary delays have grown into a full closure of the route for bus transport for a period of more than a year.
Contradictory data
In the headlines of various publications, the closure period is worded differently: RBC-Ukraine writes that the checkpoint will be "closed to buses for a year," while Korrespondent points to "more than a year." The ministry's official statement uses the wording "approximately until November 2027," which amounts to roughly 14 months from the date of closure. Thus, the most accurate indication is a period of more than one year, rather than exactly 12 months. In addition, the word "approximately" leaves the Polish side the possibility of either extending or shortening the repair period.
