Russia ↔ Europe freight: 2026 routes and details
Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Baltic states. Transit via Belarus, ferry or alternative route — how to choose.
May 5, 2026
Logistics between Russia and Europe shifted after 2022: some routes closed, alternatives via third countries opened up. Here is how regular shipments work today.
Active routes
- Via Belarus and Poland — main corridor. Brest-Terespol border crossing. Times: Moscow → Warsaw 4–6 days, Moscow → Berlin 6–8 days.
- Via Baltic states — Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. Used less due to restrictions on cargo categories.
- Alternative via Türkiye — Moscow → Istanbul → Bulgaria/Greece → EU. Slower (10–14 days), but bypasses some sanction restrictions for specific goods.
- Maritime — St. Petersburg → Hamburg/Rotterdam via alternative route. From 10 days.
Things to know
- The sanctioned goods list updates regularly. Check classification against the latest EU sanctions package before shipping.
- Payments. Direct SWIFT from Russia to most European banks is limited — friendly jurisdictions are usually required.
- Documents. Standard set: CMR, invoice, packing list, Russian export declaration, EU import clearance.
- TIR Carnet speeds up multi-country transit.
Transit times
| Route | Time |
|---|---|
| Moscow → Warsaw | 4–6 days |
| Moscow → Berlin | 6–8 days |
| Moscow → Prague | 7–9 days |
| Moscow → Budapest | 8–10 days |
| Moscow → Rome | 10–13 days |