In the summer of 2026, Blagoveshchensk will host a historic event: the first test flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle between Russia and China. The initiative was announced by the press service of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. The event is timed to coincide with the international gastronomic festival "Tastes of the Shores", which traditionally unites the border regions of the two countries.
The technical part of the spectacle is thought out to the smallest detail. Two drones, made in the style of mythological birds — the firebird and the phoenix — will simultaneously rise from the Russian and Chinese embankments. The devices will cross the state border by air and synchronize in a neutral zone over the Amur River. This format demonstrates not only the technological readiness of the parties, but also a cultural dialogue, turning the test into a public event.
In parallel, the department is studying the prospects for launching regular unmanned cargo traffic along the Primorye-2 corridor. This multimodal route connects the northeastern provinces of China with the ports of Primorye and is considered as a logistics hub for Asian cargo.
As part of the cooperation, the parties agreed to establish data exchange on testing automated air traffic control systems, plans for deploying infrastructure, and regulatory approaches to regulating unmanned flights.