Germany Asks Poland to Suspend Transportation of Ukrainian Refugees Due to 'Chokepoint' on Border

WARSAW (Sputnik) - Germany has asked Poland to suspend the dispatch of special trains with Ukrainian refugees as the country cannot process the influx of people, Pavel Shefernaker, Polish deputy interior and administration minister, said on Monday.

"The German Federal Ministry of the Interior contacted us last night, asking if we could suspend the special trains to Germany, because of a 'chokepoint' which occurred there," Shefernaker told Polish broadcaster TVN.

The Polish deputy minister went on to say that this situation showed ill-preparedness of the European Union, adding that over the last three days, about 28,000 Ukrainian refugees left Warsaw, Krakow and Katowice on special trains, while 1.5 million migrants remain in the country.

Early in March, the German interior minister, Nancy Faeser, said that refugees from Ukraine do not need to go through the asylum procedure, and will receive immediate protection for up to three years in the EU. According to the UN refugee agency, over 2.6 million people have already left Ukraine for neighbouring countries since the start of hostilities.

On 24 February, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The Russian Ministry of Defence said the operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, almost 600 civilians have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in Ukraine since the start of the conflict.