The tensions between drivers have been heavily reported on social media; photos of trucks with various war-related slogans and messages have been seen in a number of Facebook groups for drivers.
In light of this, German news website NDR talked to one Belarusian driver, Elena, who drives a Russian-registered truck. She claims she was told not to enter a lorry park in Kiel as “otherwise there may be problems”. She noted that there were also Ukrainian drivers lining up to enter the rest area and told NDR “everyone is the same; we are all truck drivers and we are all hostages in this situation.”
NDR also spoke to two Belarusian drivers at the port of Ostuferhafen waiting to board a ferry for Klaipėda in Lithuania. The truckers normally transport furniture and towels through Belarus to Moscow via Lithuania. They also have Russian license plates on their lorries and said they didn’t wish to be filmed or photographed.
One of the drivers said that Ukrainian lorry drivers had tried to get them kicked out of lorry parks in Germany. “The mood is bad. You’re constantly scared. A lot of people give us the middle finger because they see that we’re Russians,” said one of the drivers. “We are simple workers. We don’t drop bombs and have nothing to do with them. Neither Putin nor Lukashenko asked us for our opinion,” said the other. Both drivers insisted that they were against the war.
Drivers from all of the countries involved in the conflict also fear that they will not be able to return home due to border restrictions and sanctions.
Moreover, the situation is understandably stressful for the Ukrainian drivers still working in Europe. Some have been told they can’t quit their jobs, while others feel they can’t go back to defend their country as they need their salary to help feed their family. This leaves some feeling stressed and helpless.
One example of this was reported in the Netherlands, where police came across a truck illegally parked next to a chapel on the outskirts of Maastricht. Officers decided not to fine the man due to difficult circumstances he was experiencing.
The driver of the vehicle was found sleeping at the chapel, and when officers woke him up and attempted to communicate via an interpreter, the trucker fainted. Officers called an ambulance to provide the lorry driver with treatment, after which he explained that he had been suffering from exhaustion and extreme stress. He had gone to the chapel in order to pray for the safety of his family.
“Seeing so much sadness in this man’s eyes and the concern for his loved ones – it’s touching! These kinds of situations are also close to our heart”, the Maastricht police said in a statement yesterday.
Photo: Homoatrox, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
