Virus strands pilgrims on Ukraine-Belarus border

Hundreds of Hasidic Jews have been stranded at the border between Ukraine and Belarus while on their way to a pilgrimage site in Ukraine, after being turned away at the border over coronavirus concerns.

A video posted by Ukraine's State Border Guard Service showed the pilgrims, many of them families with children, facing Ukrainian border guards at the Novi Yarylovychy border crossing.

Hasidic pilgrims visit the Ukrainian town of Uman every year to visit the grave of a renowned rabbi on the the Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah - but Ukrainian authorities banned them this year because of the virus.

The mayor of Uman had personally camped outside Ukraine's presidential office in August to press for the entry ban.

After being denied entry into Ukraine, the pilgrims reportedly blocked the road leading to the border crossing on Monday, bringing transport to a halt.

The head of Ukraine's Border Guard Service reportedly addressed the pilgrims and warned them against attempting to enter Ukraine illegally, while reserve law enforcement units have been called to the border.