Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
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Deputy Prime Ministers Vitaly Savelyev and Marat Khusnullin attended the final meeting of the Ministry of Transport Board. The meeting was chaired by Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin. Participants included Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Alexander Babakov, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Nikolai Zhuravlev, Auditor of the Accounts Chamber Svetlana Orlova, heads of services and agencies subordinate to the Ministry of Transport, transport organizations, representatives of transport universities, and industry veterans.
Vitaly Savelyev emphasized the implementation of priority infrastructure projects, including those in rail transport. He reported that construction and installation work has begun on the test section of the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway from Zelenograd to Tver. Testing of domestically produced high-speed trains is planned for next year.
Development of the Eastern Railway Polygon and the North-South International Transport Corridor continues. By 2025, container rail traffic to Iran and further to South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East will have increased by 60%.
Speaking about civil aviation objectives, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the need to achieve the targets set by the Russian President. By 2030, it is planned to increase air mobility by at least 50% and bring the share of domestically produced aircraft in the air carrier fleet to 50%. Furthermore, at least 75 airfields must be modernized, work on 20 of which has already begun.
Maritime and inland waterway transport infrastructure is being developed. Last year, the capacity of the seaports of Murmansk, Ust-Luga, and Vanino increased by a combined 25 million tons. Cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route is planned to reach 70–109 million tons by 2030. To ensure emergency response readiness in its waters, construction of three ice-class tugboats and rescue vessels was completed last year.
Particular attention is being paid to the development of unmanned technologies. At the direction of the President, the Ministry of Transport established a new airspace class, Class H. Russia became the first country in the world to allow unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) routes to be established at altitudes of up to 3,050 meters. "Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin outlined a number of unconditional priorities for the transport industry in the coming years. We must continue this work, strictly adhering to the approved plans and schedules," said Vitaly Savelyev.
Marat Khusnullin reported that over 28,000 kilometers of roads were built and renovated in 2025. "Over the course of the year, we actively implemented all planned activities under the 'Infrastructure for Life' national project. This was made possible thanks to systemic solutions and the President's ongoing oversight, as well as the personal involvement of the Prime Minister," he noted.
Specialists built and renovated over 28,000 km of roads, 15% more than the 2024 target. Approximately 219 million square meters of asphalt were laid, 9% more than the previous year. All planned targets were met. Furthermore, a program for the development of support centers was launched for the first time, which will improve the quality of all infrastructure, including transport, by 30% by 2030.
The significant and complex work in the reunited regions was also noted, resulting in the federal and regional road network reaching nearly the Russian average. "We continue to systematically develop the North-South and West-East transport corridors. We have developed a new class of high-speed roads with a total length of over 3,500 km. Travel time from Yekaterinburg to Moscow on the M-12 East has now been reduced to 16 hours – twice as fast as before," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized. He added that last year, 70 million tons of freight were transported along the highway, and 2.4 million trips were made – impressive figures demonstrating that the highway is operating at full capacity.
Work continues on the construction of the highway route around the Sea of Azov, with more than 60% of the work already completed, and the project is scheduled for completion by 2030. A large-scale upgrade of public transport is underway: more than 5,000 units of rolling stock have already been delivered, and 67% of public transport in the country is in good working order.
"I thank the staff of the Ministry of Transport, Rosavtodor, the state-owned company Avtodor, federal agencies, and all subordinate institutions and organizations within the transport sector for their productive work. Long-term and sustainable development of the country and improving the quality of life are our shared goals. Therefore, it is important to continue this work without slowing down," Marat Khusnullin concluded his speech.
Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin delivered a report on the transport sector's performance in 2025 and plans for the coming period. He thanked the teams of all enterprises and organizations in the sector for the smooth operation of the transport system. "Nearly a thousand people received state awards. More than 6,000 employees received departmental awards," the transport minister said.
A record-breaking federal budget utilization was achieved – 1 trillion 908 billion 400 million rubles, representing 99.95% of the allocated funds. "We have implemented all infrastructure plans, including those laid out under the national projects 'Efficient Transportation System' and 'Infrastructure for Life.' Major road projects have been opened with the direct support of the President and the Government. At the direction of the head of state, a major overhaul program for airports has been launched. We continue to implement our import substitution program – we have completely switched to purchasing domestic software," the minister noted.
At the direction of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, work is underway to update the industry's key document—the Transport Strategy of the Russian Federation with a planning horizon through 2050. The document is scheduled for approval in 2026. The corresponding federal law, "On Transport Policy," will codify the legal mechanisms for the operation of the unified transport system and the management of the transport complex at all levels, uniting the efforts of the federal center and the regions. "This is our direct responsibility to citizens. They must see the results of our joint work. That is why the Ministry of Transport will participate in the approval of candidates for regional ministers," stated Andrei Nikitin. He tasked the heads of subordinate government agencies with preparing development concepts for the industries they oversee, calculating specific indicators through 2030 and 2036, and development plans through 2050.
A key priority for 2026 is the creation of a regulatory framework for the implementation and regulation of autonomous vehicles. The President emphasized that Russia must become a global technology leader in unmanned aerial systems. "That's why the primary objective is to develop a legislative framework in a timely manner. This will enable the safe and effective implementation of innovations across all sectors of the national economy," the Minister of Transport noted.
A significant focus is placed on supporting SVO participants and their families. Specifically, work is underway to reintegrate them into civilian life: in 2025, 187 veterans began training at the Russian University of Transport. An agreement was also signed between the Russian Ministry of Transport's Information and Communications Center and the state-run "Defenders of the Fatherland" foundation to establish a hotline to provide support to SVO participants in transport.
"Our goal is to make transport more accessible, comfortable, and safer for people. We want to maintain the industry's attractiveness to investors and ensure transparent conditions for carriers. This is the foundation for economic growth and a contribution to Russia's achievement of technological sovereignty. We will achieve these goals together," concluded Andrey Nikitin.
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