The first-ever cross-border unmanned cargo transportation took place between Russia and Kazakhstan. As reported by Russian Deputy Minister of Transport Dmitry Zverev, speaking at the V Eurasian Economic Forum, this was a full-fledged commercial delivery, not a test run of empty vehicles. Details of the experiment have not yet been disclosed, but the Ministry of Transport called it a "mega-experiment" that proved successful.
KAMAZ and Yandex are the key technological partners of the project, with agreements already signed. In April 2026, Russia and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of cooperation in the development of unmanned transport and digital technologies.
According to Kazakh Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev, the transition to autonomous transportation will give the market an "explosive growth character" due to savings on driver salaries and the possibility of round-the-clock operation. The return from one unmanned truck is expected to be three times higher than from a truck with a driver, who is required to stop every eight hours for rest.
Currently, 101 unmanned trucks are already operating on Russian roads, and the launch of commercial routes between the countries is planned for 2026. The next step, according to Zverev, should be the creation of synchronized regulatory frameworks for the movement of highly automated vehicles.
In fact, Russia and Kazakhstan are initiating the legalization of unmanned trucks on international routes, which opens a corridor for regular autonomous transportation between EAEU countries, where cargo traffic is traditionally high.
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