In the first half of 2026, more than 70% of freight in the russian federation was transported by road. Due to fuel shortages and rising prices, carriers' costs increased, and companies began reducing long-distance trips and changing routes. This is reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, according to UNN.
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In the first half of 2026, more than 70% of freight in the russian federation was transported by road, making the industry extremely vulnerable to fuel shortages and rising prices. Supply disruptions increased carriers' costs, forced them to revise routes and reshaped the country's freight flows
According to intelligence, fuel prices in the russian federation rose by 16–18% from mid-July. Since fuel accounts for about one-third of carriers' costs, the cost of road transportation increased by 4.5–5.5%.
The cancellation of fuel discounts amounting to 7–12% also affected companies. In response, carriers began reducing long-distance routes, abandoning trips between remote regions and focusing on deliveries within individual regions or to the nearest ports.
At the same time, transportation rates also increased. In July, truck rates rose by 12–15% compared with June, and on some routes by up to 50%.
Routes from China were hit the hardest. Due to the fuel collapse in the Transbaikal Territory, through which the main flow of freight from the PRC passes, rates jumped by 20–25% compared with May–June, while the cost of delivering cargo from China to moscow rose from $10,000–11,000 to $14,000. Companies are trying to shift some cargo to rail and sea transport: demand for direct rail shipments increased by approximately 18–20%, and for sea shipments by 10–12%. However, limited capacity and longer delivery times do not allow these routes to compensate for the loss of road transport, so logistics is only becoming more complicated and expensive
According to intelligence, market participants do not expect rates to return to their pre-crisis level even after fuel supplies stabilize. In their forecasts, prices may decline by no more than 7–10%.
The crisis will accelerate market consolidation around large operators capable of building up fuel reserves and operating with lower profitability. The exit of small carriers will reduce the supply of services and keep rates high even after supplies normalize, while remote regions of the russian federation will become even more dependent on a limited number of carriers—with a corresponding difference in delivery costs between the country's center and periphery
Previously
In regions of the russian federation, police fine people for storing gasoline in canisters and detain them for attempting to complain about unequal access to fuel. moscow and saint petersburg have received priority supplies, while gas stations are closing in other regions.