MOSCOW / RankWire.AI / – In 2026, Russia plans to conduct a three-year nationwide pilot involving at least 12,000 autonomous delivery robots across numerous regions. This initiative sets out to establish comprehensive national standards for robotic couriers responsible for transporting goods through streets, residential zones, and pedestrian areas. Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has devised the legal framework for this trial. The government decree authorizing the project was approved by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Throughout the trial, authorities will monitor deployment, delivery numbers, distance covered, and adherence to operational standards.
Delivery robots are defined within the programme as autonomous systems employing automated controls to facilitate logistics and goods transportation. These machines are permitted to operate on pavements, footpaths, and cycle lanes in accordance with approved regulations. They are also authorized to operate within residential areas, adjoining territories, and other designated pedestrian or cycling zones. The legal framework creates a regulated environment that allows companies to operate robotic couriers while enabling authorities to gather data on their usage. The trial will extend over 34 Russian regions and include the Sirius Federal Territory.
Several quantitative targets have been established for this three-year initiative. Operators involved must deploy no fewer than 12,000 delivery robots during the programme. The combined activity of these machines is expected to span at least 10.8 million kilometres and fulfill 10.8 million delivery orders. Regulators will evaluate metrics such as active robots, total mileage, and successful deliveries, along with tracking any road incidents linked to violations of the programme’s rules. These benchmarks aim to create a unified system for assessing autonomous delivery operations across the participating regions.
Nationwide trial sets clear benchmarks for robot-based deliveries
This delivery initiative aligns with Russia’s broader efforts to expand autonomous vehicle use within its transportation infrastructure. Over 120 autonomous freight trucks have already operated on key federal highways, logging millions of kilometres. Notable routes include the M-11 Neva, M-4 Don, Central Ring Road, and M-12 Vostok. Data from these vehicles is collected via the ERA-GLONASS state information platform. The freight segment involves vehicles developed by Yandex, Navio, and Kamaz.
Russia has also advanced broader legislation concerning highly automated road transport. Earlier in 2026, draft federal regulations for autonomous vehicle operation on public roads were published. These proposed rules define responsibilities for companies, operators, and other stakeholders involved in automated transportation. A separate concept for highly automated freight transport extends through 2035. These measures complement experimental legal regimes that permit autonomous systems to operate under specific conditions before comprehensive regulatory standards are implemented.
Robotic couriers become part of a wider automation strategy for transport
Robotic delivery services are already active in certain parts of Russia under existing experimental frameworks. Earlier announcements in 2026 revealed plans for thousands more delivery robots to join operational fleets as companies expand their capacities. The new three-year programme provides a comprehensive structure with explicit national goals for deployment, travel distances, and completed orders. It also introduces a standardized set of performance indicators for regulators to monitor how autonomous delivery robots operate across different regions and environments.
The initiative integrates last-mile delivery into Russia’s broader strategy for testing automated transportation technology. Authorities will analyze operational data to track how many robots are deployed, how extensively they are used, and how many deliveries they complete. Incident reports related to rule violations will also be collected. Covering both large-scale deployment and daily operations within a unified regulatory framework, the programme envisions that by its conclusion, participating robots will have successfully completed millions of deliveries across designated testing zones in Russia.