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After Russia imposed an embargo on most food products produced in the European Union, from 16 August lorry drivers have been asked to present producers' certificates for goods transiting through Lithuania to Kaliningrad. Drivers have to wait for several or more days to pass Lithuania-Russia border. Officials of the Lithuanian Customs stress that they do not require any certificates.

More than 80 lorries were waiting to enter Russia on Wednesday and their numbers continued to grow. Drivers did not have certificates for goods they were carrying. Without them Russian customs officers prohibit entry of cargo to Kaliningrad due to a suspicion that together with vegetables from Belarus carriers are attempting to hide fruits or mushrooms grown in the EU and thus are breaking the embargo.

According to one of the drivers, there are many others who found themselves in a similar situation waiting in Kybartai for documents to arrive and all of them are angry as they did not expect to waste so much time. The resident of Kaliningrad added that drivers often suggest to block the highway in Kybartai in order to draw attention to their problems. However, they acknowledge that this would bring little use as the blockade would be organised in Lithuania, which is not responsible for the situation.

The Head of Kybartai Road Post of Kaunas Territorial Customs Office, Raimondas Sapoka, confirmed that Lithuanian customs officers do not request to provide any certificates for goods carried to Kaliningrad by transit. He added that this is done on the Russian side which bans entry of EU made products.