Russian unmanned trucks may start performing international flights to China. According to Andrey Nikitin, head of the Russian Ministry of Transport, China could become the next country to receive unmanned trucks from Russia after Kazakhstan. The minister announced this on the sidelines of the EEF.
To launch such transportation, Russia and China need to agree on cross-border traffic rules. This includes the admission of unmanned vehicles, liability insurance, and control procedures.
By the end of the year, it is planned to approve the transportation scenario, technical solutions, and relevant regulations. In addition, data roaming between GLONASS and China Mobile is being worked out.
According to Nikitin, the development of unmanned vehicle movement in Russia is gradual. At the first stage, trucks operate on federal toll roads where there are no traffic lights or pedestrian crossings. This approach, the minister noted, has helped avoid accidents caused by unmanned vehicles. In other countries, where such vehicles were immediately released onto public roads, similar incidents were recorded.
Nikitin also noted the economic benefit of the project for businesses. For now, as part of the experiment, the state only provides benefits to the project, but does not subsidize it. At the same time, businesses themselves are making investments, as they expect to achieve an economic effect in the near future. The Ministry of Transport intends to continue developing the technology and is preparing relevant changes to regulatory rules.
The ministry conducted the first international unmanned flight from Russia to Kazakhstan in May 2026. KAMAZ trucks covered more than 3,000 km, with individual sections of the route completed entirely without driver intervention.