Russia and China to trial drone and driverless truck cargo links

Russia's Amur region is preparing to test new modes of cargo transport with China, including a cross-border drone bridge and driverless trucks, as surging trade volumes put pressure on existing border infrastructure.

Pavel Puzanov, deputy chairman of the regional government, announced the plans at a business forum in Kazan. The trial programmes are being developed in partnership with Chinese authorities.

One project involves a so-called drone bridge between the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk and the Chinese city of Heihe, which sit opposite each other on the Amur river. The drones would carry high-value cargo such as electronic components, with a payload capacity of up to 50 kilograms.

A separate initiative, developed by Russian autonomous driving firm Navio, would allow driverless Chinese trucks to move heavier freight between the two cities. Test runs with a safety driver in the cabin are scheduled for 2027, with fully autonomous operations potentially beginning in 2028.

The push for new transport links comes as China-Russia trade continues to grow rapidly. Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said trade rose 26% year-on-year to $159 billion between January and July, and could reach a record annual level. However, Chinese data from January showed that trade in 2025 had pulled back from the previous year's record, marking the first decline in five years.

For passengers, travel between Blagoveshchensk and Heihe is expected to become easier in 2027 with the launch of a cross-border cable car, which would cut transit time to around five minutes, excluding border checks.