The Russian government has extended the experiment with unmanned trucks until 2028 and allowed movement without a person in the cabin. The new rules apply to Bashkortostan, Perm Krai, and the Sverdlovsk Region, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The experimental regime provides for two categories of highly automated vehicles. The first category allows the tester to be in the passenger seat instead of the driver's seat, and the second allows fully autonomous movement with remote control. Owners are required to regularly report accidents and cases of forced interception of control. Trucks in the first category must travel a total of at least 17.6 million km, and those in the second category must travel 100,000 km. Vehicles must safely stop in the event of critical failures, taking into account the movement of other vehicles on the road.
Unmanned trucks have been tested on the M-11 and TsKAD highways since 2023. In April 2025, testing showed the successful operation of the technology, but operating rules and safety standards required refinement. Experts expect that after the final approval of the regulatory framework, such cars will be able to appear on public roads by 2027.
Polina Davydova, director of the "Digital Transport and Logistics" association, noted that the technology has demonstrated stability and predictable behavior on the road. Tests have shown that autonomous trucks can work faster and more efficiently than drivers: in August 2025, one of the drones traveled 1600 km in 24 hours, which is 2.5 times faster than the average driver.
