By Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 896 dated July 16, 2026, amendments were made to Resolution No. 1728 regulating international road transport of goods. The document entered into force at 00:00 Moscow time on July 19.
Estonia has been added to the List of foreign countries that have imposed restrictive measures on Russian citizens and legal entities in the field of international road transport. In the version that entered into force, the republic is included in paragraph 4 of the conditions for such transportation, the press service of the North-Western Customs Administration reported. At the same time, the List of goods for which the ban does not apply has been adjusted.
It is the second part that changes the situation for the market. The ban on transit and domestic transportation across Russia by vehicles registered in the European Union, Norway, Great Britain and Ukraine has been in effect since October 10, 2022. Since July 2023, similar measures have been extended to Estonia, but Estonian companies still had the opportunity to transport certain categories of goods from the list of exceptions. This channel is now closed: restrictions are applied without exceptions for product groups, as was previously done for Poland and Moldova.
Territorial exceptions are preserved. The ban does not apply to goods delivered to the Kaliningrad Region, as well as to certain areas of the Leningrad, Murmansk, Pskov regions and the Republic of Karelia.
In practice, the remaining cargo flows between Russia and Estonia, which have so far been on the list of exceptions, are under attack. Logistics companies will either have to arrange the transfer of trailers at the border with the transfer of cargo to a Russian or Belarusian carrier, or transfer volumes to transport from countries not subject to restrictions.
Estonian cross-border businesses have faced a drop in traffic before: companies at the Koidula and Luhamaa checkpoints experienced financial difficulties due to a sharp reduction in traffic.
Cargo owners who still have valid contracts on their Estonian shoulders should immediately check who is the actual carrier according to the documents and reassemble the delivery scheme. It is advisable to re-register shipments that are on the way or scheduled for the coming weeks in advance so that the transport is not stopped at the border.
