The total cargo flow decreased by 7%
In January–July 2026, through railway border crossings between Ukraine and Poland, 9.75 million tons of cargo. Over the year, the volume decreased by approx 700 thousand tons, which indicates a decrease in the intensity of freight transportation in the Polish direction.
However, the reduction was not uniform. The main volume of transportation continues to fall on several key transitions that ensure export and import between Ukraine and the EU.
Izov — Hrubeshuv remains the main transition
The largest number of cargoes in seven months passed through the route Izov — Hrubeshuv — 4.676 million tons.
Despite the leadership in absolute volume, this transition showed a noticeable drop. Compared to the same period in 2025, the cargo flow decreased by 17%.
This direction is one of the key ones for transporting Ukrainian raw materials and industrial products to European markets.
Some transitions, on the contrary, increased transportation
Against the background of a general reduction, individual routes demonstrated positive dynamics.
Through the transition Mostyska II — Medicine was transported in seven months 2.982 million tons loads It's on 12% morethan for the same period in 2025.
Another important direction is Yagodin — Dorogusk. It passed through him 2.031 million tons, and the annual growth was 3%.
Thus, carriers partially reorient flows between individual crossings depending on their capacity, demand and specific logistics conditions.
The biggest drop is on Rava-Ruska
The sharpest reduction was recorded in the direction Rava-Ruska — Verkhrata.
In January–July, only one was transported through this crossing 59 thousand tons of cargo. It is immediately on 73% lessthan a year earlier.
Such a drop is particularly noticeable against the background of much larger volumes at other Ukrainian-Polish crossings and indicates a significant change in the structure of cargo flows.
What Ukraine transports through Poland
The largest share of railway transportation was oil and oil products — 2.327 million tons.
Yet 2.107 million tons fell on other types of cargo.
Ukrainian mining and metallurgical products play an important role. In particular, it was transported through the Polish direction 1.744 million tons of iron and manganese ore.
The following was also transported in seven months:
- 815 thousand tons of construction materials;
- 791 thousand tons of ferrous metals;
- 525 thousand tons of grain.
The structure of transportation shows that the Polish railway route remains important primarily for export of Ukrainian industrial and raw materials, as well as for the import of energy and production resources.
Why the Polish direction is important for Ukraine
Poland remains one of Ukraine's key logistics partners and one of the main land corridors to the European Union market.
Through Polish crossings, Ukrainian enterprises gain access to the European railway network and further to the ports of the Baltic Sea. This is especially important for exporters who, because of the war, cannot fully rely on traditional sea routes.
At the same time, the reduction of the total cargo flow by 7% shows that land logistics also faces constraints — from infrastructure capacity and differences in railway standards to transportation costs and changes in Ukraine's export structure.
Poland remains an important, but not the only, route
The decrease in cargo flow through Poland is taking place against the background of a broader restructuring of Ukrainian logistics. Businesses are increasingly actively using alternative routes through Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova, depending on the type of cargo and the final destination.
At the same time, the Polish direction remains one of the largest in terms of volume. Therefore, changes in individual transitions directly affect export opportunities of Ukrainian business, cost of delivery and speed of delivery of goods to the EU.
What does this mean for Ukrainian business
A decrease in cargo flow does not necessarily mean a drop in Ukrainian exports by the same amount. Part of the cargo may be moved by other routes.
However, the very structure of transportation demonstrates how much Ukrainian business depends on the stable operation of international land corridors. For large exporters, even a small increase in the cost of transport can significantly affect the final profitability of deliveries.
This is especially true ore, metal, building materials and other low-margin products, where transport costs take up a significant part of the cost price.
Therefore, 9.75 million tons of cargo in seven months is still a significant volume, but the drop by 7% shows that Ukrainian railway logistics continues to work under conditions of high load and constant restructuring of routes. For business, the key issue remains not only the availability of a transport corridor, but also its own cost, throughput and stability of operation.
EN
