Russian President Vladimir Putin has openly acknowledged that he personally ordered the intensified customs controls that have caused weeks-long traffic jams involving tens of thousands of trucks at the Russian-Kazakhstan border.
Speaking at a press conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on November 27, Putin told reporters that the measures were necessary to stop massive illegal imports that were costing the Russian budget “tens of billions of rubles.”
“I will not conceal it: on my direct instructions, our customs service – which has the right to carry out such checks within the Eurasian Economic Union – began conducting random roadside inspections,” Putin said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
He explained that a large proportion of trucks crossing from Kazakhstan into Russia had either no documentation at all or grossly incomplete paperwork, despite the two countries belonging to the same customs union that theoretically allows free movement of goods.
Kazakhstan shut down one of Russia's main land borders, stranding over 5,000 trucks carrying Chinese goods destined for Russian factories and warehouses.
The closure stems from Astana's enforcement of secondary sanctions, with Kazakh customs blocking electronics, drones,… pic.twitter.com/fhqn6K87ww
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) November 25, 2025
“Trucks were simply rushing into Russia’s customs territory without any papers. This is outright illegal importation,” the Russian leader stated.
The sudden crackdown has created chaos for hauliers from Central Asia and China. In Kyrgyzstan alone, clothing manufacturers say they are on the verge of bankruptcy because their shipments cannot reach Russian buyers.
Putin said he had discussed the issue with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and that both sides agreed to work together against smuggling while gradually clearing the backlog.
“We agreed to do everything possible so that the huge number of trucks now stuck on the Kazakh side can start entering Russia. The goods will be properly declared, the final recipients identified, and the trucks will be let through step by step,” he said.
In a related development, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have launched a pilot programme introducing electronic navigation seals (GPS trackers) on trucks to improve transparency in cross-border freight transport, the Kyrgyz State Tax Service announced.