23 March 2022

Situation in Ukraine and Russia

Latest news

Update 23 March 2022

Due to the current situation in Ukraine, we have suspended all local operations whilst our team and customers seek safety.  We are pleased to advise that all are currently safe, and those wanting and able to leave the country have done so.  We appreciate the incredible efforts of our local teams in Romania and Poland to assist Mainfreight’s extended family members in Ukraine make their way to safer places over the border. 

As the situation has continued to intensify, we have suspended all services into and out of Russia along with all domestic activity with immediate effect.  We are most grateful to our teams in St Petersburg and Moscow for their efforts to build a strong local business over a many years and hope that one day, when the time is right we may be able to return. 

Update 1 March 2022

The situation in Ukraine will not have escaped your notice. Especially in the last few days, developments are following each other in rapid succession. It goes without saying that we are keeping a close eye on the situation. 

At this moment there is still a lot we do not know. We now know that transport to Ukraine is not possible at the moment. Mainfreight will continue to provide its services to Russia for the time being. However, you should take into account the EU sanctions that have been imposed on Russia. A number of products and services can no longer be sold or delivered to companies in this country: www.rvo.nl/sancties.  

In response to the EU sanctions, Russia has restricted or stopped the import of some foreign products. These are mainly products from the agriculture, horticulture and fisheries sectors: www.rvo.nl/importverbod. 

A shortage of drivers is looming within the road transport sector. Many companies in Central and Eastern Europe use Ukrainian drivers. They are currently being called up for military operations. Reservists are also being called up in the countries on the EU's eastern border. Also, it is estimated that some 12,000 drivers are stuck in Ukraine. All this could lead to reduced capacity in the transport market in the coming weeks.

We at Mainfreight sympathize with our colleagues and all citizens in Ukraine. In addition, we and our team will continue to do everything in our power to get shipments delivered as agreed. We hope for your understanding and in case your shipment is very urgent we request you to contact your contact person or our customer service team (customerservice@nl.mainfreight.com / +31 (0)314 671 111). We will be happy to discuss our options with you.

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