Massive queues of trucks have once again formed at the border crossings between Russia and Kazakhstan, marking the most significant traffic congestion in recent memory. Logistics companies report approximately 5,000 trucks waiting on the Russian side and even more on the Kazakhstani side. Officially, neither country has provided an explanation for the extensive delays.
Alexey, a Moscow-based entrepreneur, shared his predicament with Business FM, describing a «deadlock» since September 10-11, with his cargo from China stalled for nearly a week. He emphasized the absence of clear timelines or official reasons, only mentioning rumors of «some inspections.» Previously, similar checks took merely 10-15 minutes, with delays extending to three days in July-August, but the current situation is unprecedented. The majority of the affected cargo is transiting from China through Kazakhstan.
The most severe congestion is observed at three key checkpoints on the Russian side: Bugristoye in the Chelyabinsk region, Veseloyarsk in the Altai Territory, and Petukhovo in the Kurgan region. On the Kazakhstani side, trucks are accumulating near Uralsk, specifically at the village of Mashtakovo, on the border with the Orenburg region.
Expert Opinions on the Delays
Russia, from the perspective of our Customs Union, has now begun to bring all our countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan—into the legal framework that existed in the Customs Union, to ensure declarations are properly filled out and payments are correctly made. This is all due to that. They said it all started accumulating around September 8. Currently, there are about 6,500-7,000 trucks, and this queue is gradually growing. Drivers are waiting, it`s a pity, it`s happening because they are without proper processing, probably without adequate conditions.
Alexey Cherenkov, Head of Oversized and FTL Transportation, Holding Finance Broker
Businesses have been largely unsuccessful in obtaining official information, relying instead on rumors of unscheduled inspections and special task forces, predicting delays of at least 10-20 days. Kirill Latinsky, executive director of Transasia Logistics, explained that despite the unified customs space between Russia and Kazakhstan, stringent checks can be implemented by both sides under special circumstances.
There is significant and widespread inspection of vehicles with Kazakhstani license plates, primarily those transporting consolidated cargo to the Russian Federation. I assume it`s about combating «grey» imports. Because, in fact, quite a lot of «grey» imports enter the Russian Federation, and it often transits from China. There`s also a nuance related to the fact that Kazakhstani authorities themselves inspect almost 99% of all goods transiting through Kazakhstan to Russia. They are looking for dual-use goods, equipment, electronics, and items included in sanction lists. Plus, there`s a new system, Ru ID, for foreigners that became effective on June 30, 2025. This requires foreign citizens, including those from Kazakhstan, to register on this platform and inform about their entry into the Russian Federation 72 hours prior to the planned entry.
Kirill Latinsky, Executive Director, Transasia Logistics
The Federal Customs Service has not yet responded to Business FM`s request for clarification. A previous major truck jam at the border in June of this year was resolved within 3-4 days with minimal business losses, but the financial impact of the current delays remains to be calculated.
