Serbian trucker going through hell on Ukraine-Russia border: 52 days in no man's land

Foto: Facebook/Srećko Županjac

Serbian trucker Srecko Zupanjac from Kraljevo and a truckload of apples have been spending time in no man's land on the border between Ukraine and Russia since July 1. Russian customs will not let him in the country on suspicion that the fruit he is transporting is not from Serbia, but from Poland.

While there is still no clear answer as to when the driver will be able to return to Serbia, Srecko has lived for 52 days in inhumane conditions, barely able to find food, a toilet and the opportunity to take a shower.

"This is outrageous. I've been sitting here for almost 60 days, I don't know what's going on. The Russians won't allow me to come in with apples because they suspect they are from Poland. By the way, this happens all the time to our companies. They are constantly under scrutiny for trying to reexport, to pass off apples from the European Union as Serbian, which is forbidden. I had 26 pallets in the truck, but the Russians did not accept seven that they suspect are from Poland. They have been holding me here for almost two months with the disputed cargo," says Zupanjac.

As he explains, the company he works for, Astur, ships the fruit, while the exporter is the Cacak-based Super Fruit.

"I manage the best way I can. The hardest part is the food, I take the taxi to the nearby border town of Pogar to do the shopping. The city is 21 kilometers away from the parking lot where they put me, and all that costs money. I can shower in the parking lot, there is a shower, there is a toilet, but you can imagine what they're like. Russian importers also called me today. They say they and the Serbian firm must pay a fine of about 100,000 rubles (about 1,500 euros). The tests to establish the origin of the apples are also awaited. As soon as that is over, I can go back to Serbia. And who will pay me, who will pay for my losses?! I've been sat in this neverland for 52 days! I'm not driving, I've lost 4,000 euros so far," the desperate man tells the daily Informer.

Photo Illustration: Profimedia/Corbis

Predrag Radovanovic, who owns Super Fruit - the exporter of the apples in this case - claims that the situation is more a result of misunderstandings than some serious problems, and that he will pay the fine, allowing the driver to return home as soon as tomorrow.

"The driver had some problem with the customs officer and he released 19 pallets, leaving seven, these are small amounts,  to be reexports. Well, only a part of the cargo can't be reexports. The apples are absolutely Serbian," claims Radovanovic.

When asked if they were prepared to pay the 100,000 ruble fine, he answered in the affirmative.

"There will certainly be something to pay, otherwise we would have to go to court. I said I won't litigate over such a small amount of goods. Believe me, that man can go home tomorrow," Radovanovic said of the driver.

Vladimir Zagradanin from Astur, the company shipping this fruit, says he is aware of the case, and that the fine would be paid.

"We have contacted our embassy in Moscow and the exporter, they say they are working on it, but nothing is happening. In essence, the Russian authorities have to deal with this, every day they say they will release him, but then don't. Nobody really knows what's going on and what the problem is. We also suffer great losses, our truck is standing there, and there is no solution," Zagradanin said.

WE'VE BEEN RESELLING PEARS AND PEACHES TO RUSSIANS, TOO

In October 2018, 36 people were suspected of participating the prohibited practice of reexporting agricultural products originating in the European Union to Russia.

Earlier that year, suspicions about reexports, that is, imports from third countries, led Russia to ban the import of fresh pears from Serbia. After that, there was the occurrence of the listeria bacteria. Serbia also had to send explanations to the Russians after an attempt to sell to Russia a type of flat peach that is not even cultivated in our country.

WHAT IS REEXPORT, WHY IT'S BANNED

Reexport is a resale of goods purchased abroad. In 2014, Russia blocked all fruit imports from the European Union in response to Western sanctions against it over the Ukrainian crisis. This was Serbia's big export opportunity, but with the condition that EU goods should not be resold. However, in the first months, it was clear that many Serbian exporters were trying to sell to the Russians the fruit bought in the European Union, mostly in Poland, which directly jeopardizes the Serbia-Russia free trade agreement.

(Telegraf.rs/Informer)