Cargo transshipment: Putin called unmanned transport effective in Russia
The airport terminal in Blagoveshchensk, the new hydroelectric complex on the Don, as well as the Latitudinal Highway in St. Petersburg — Vladimir Putin launched the operation of the largest transport facilities in Russia on March 31. The head of state called each of them a contribution to strengthening the entire national economy of the country. On the same day, the president launched the movement of unmanned trucks along the M-12 Vostok highway — now a single corridor of autonomous transportation will connect St. Petersburg and Kazan. What experience the Russian Ministry of Transport is ready to share with friendly countries and what will further strengthen relations with China — in the Izvestia article.
New infrastructure projects in Russia
On March 31, Vladimir Putin launched several large transport facilities in different regions of Russia via video link. The head of state called each opening a significant event in the industry that would strengthen the entire national economy. For example, a new passenger terminal of the international airport has been built in Blagoveshchensk.: This is not just an infrastructure facility, but an important step for the entire Far East, the president is convinced.
The new terminal will help expand tourist and business ties with foreign countries, the head of state said. This will increase the capacity of the airport by 1,000 passengers per hour (600 for domestic and 400 for international flights), which is especially important given the proximity of the border with China — the airport is only 3.5 km from the state border. The terminal is also distinguished by its unusual architecture: a triangular roof that simultaneously resembles the outlines of the surrounding hills, lotus petals and rockets launching nearby from the Vostochny cosmodrome.
— This project not only improves the quality of life of our residents, but also opens up new prospects for economic growth, tourism and international cooperation. The region is becoming a full-fledged international hub on the border with China. This is our strategic advantage," Pavel Matyukhin, Deputy Chairman of the Amur Region Government, said at the opening ceremony.
Vladimir Putin also launched the first of three facilities of the Bagaevsky hydroelectric complex in the Rostov region on the Don River — its construction began in 2018, although the idea of creating such an object stretches back to 1912. It will ensure large-tonnage shipping and the growth of cargo transportation in the direction of the Azov-Black Sea basin.
The launch of the first hydroelectric facility will have a positive impact on the situation with water supply and land reclamation. The hydroelectric complex will become an important link in the unified deep—water system of the European part of Russia, eliminating a bottleneck on the waterway - the complete completion of construction will ensure the annual passage of about 19 thousand vessels and the safety of the large-tonnage fleet. By the way, the head of the Ministry of Transport, Andrey Nikitin, called this project unique, since Russia has not built anything like it in the last 40 years.
— During the construction process, more than 40 federal estimates were updated, and today we are ready to build such waterworks in Russia and, if necessary, offer our technologies for scaling to our friendly countries. This is the most modern hydroelectric plant built on the basis of modern technologies," the minister added.
Which cities will self-driving trucks be able to reach?
The country has enormous logistical and transit potential, and given the major changes in the global economy, Russia must make the most of it, the president said. In particular, we need to diversify global logistics flows and offer new, safer, more reliable and profitable routes. To do this, it is necessary to modernize the transport infrastructure, improve the safety and stability of navigation on the routes of the Northern Sea Route and the entire Transarctic Transport Corridor, as well as increase the capacity of the Eastern Railway Landfill.
Moreover, the development of the transport system should be based on advanced technologies and digital solutions, which remain an indisputable competitive advantage, the head of state believes. A good example of such innovations is unmanned transport, which has already proved its economic efficiency in the Russian Federation. According to the president's estimates, drones have traveled 13 million km on Russian roads. "No accidents, by the way," he clarified.
On the same day, the movement of unmanned trucks along the M-12 Vostok highway was launched via video link: now a single corridor of autonomous transportation will connect St. Petersburg and Kazan, and in the future the geography of such "smart" transport will be extended to other major federal highways.
Russia has been testing cargo transportation by drones for several years: in 2023, such a movement was launched on the M-11 Neva, and in 2025 on the Central Ring Road. Their development should reduce logistical costs and speed up the delivery of goods. For example, an autonomous truck covered the route from St. Petersburg to Kazan in 24 hours, with a driver — in about 58 hours. By the end of 2030, the Russian fleet of cargo drones will already number more than 4 thousand units.
Vladimir Putin called it positive that three companies are engaged in the production of such unmanned vehicles at once: Yandex, NAVIO and KAMAZ. "There is also healthy competition in this area. This is very good," the head of state noted.
Another expected event is the start of the next stage of construction of the Latitudinal Highway in St. Petersburg. It will connect the city with the highways of the Leningrad region, optimize logistics, and relieve the historical center of transit traffic. The length of the six-lane road is more than 14 km. The intensity of more than 150 thousand cars per day is predicted. The planned construction of the highway will be completed in 2031.
— The start of construction of the next section of the Latitudinal Highway is an important and long—awaited stage in the development of the St. Petersburg transport system. The city is consistently moving towards the creation of a modern backbone infrastructure that will relieve the street and road network, improve the connectivity of districts and improve the quality of life of St. Petersburg residents," Dmitry Pavlov, deputy, member of the Standing Committee on Transport and Development of transport infrastructure of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, told Izvestia.
The Russian leader recalled that the total volume of upcoming investments in the project is estimated at about 270 billion rubles. The completion of all sections of the highway is scheduled for 2031. The Head of State expressed hope that everything would be implemented efficiently and on time. The legislative Assembly has already promised to closely monitor the provision of the necessary regulatory and budgetary support so that the construction of all stages of the CMMSD, including the new drawbridge across the Neva River, is carried out precisely on schedule and completed on time.
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