Russia included the Republic of Moldova on the list of countries with restrictions on international road transport of goods
Truck drivers from the Republic of Moldova will not be allowed, starting from Thursday, March 28, 2025, to enter the territory of the Russian Federation, not even in transit. The measure was approved by a decision of the Government in Moscow.
Under the document, the Republic of Moldova has been added to the list of “unfriendly” states, along with EU countries, Great Britain, Norway and Ukraine, against which Russia has previously applied retaliatory measures. Carriers from these states are allowed to deliver goods only to the border area of the Russian Federation, where they shall carry out transhipment or trailer exchange operations, and domestic transportation is taken over by Russian companies.
Currently, there is a limited set of products that truck drivers from “unfriendly” countries can bring to Russia without major restrictions. Among them are food products, detergents, glassware, ceramics, musical instruments and others. However, the list has been reduced from 58 to 29 product categories, and starting from April 26, 2025, the transport of alcohol, tobacco products, cocoa and their derivatives will also be eliminated.
Alternative routes
Moldovan trucks reached Russia via Ukraine by 2022. After the outbreak of the war, the route was changed, and the transport was carried out through EU states (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania), where Russian truck drivers do not have access.
The only relatively viable option is the route through Belarus, with which Moldova has a permit-free transport regime, but which only allows transport to the Russian border, where transhipments must be organized again.
