Ukrainian intelligence revealed the scale of the coal crisis in Russia: hundreds of thousands of wagons are idle.

According to the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, the crisis in Russia's coal industry is severely impacting other sectors of the Russian economy. The hardest hit are rail transport, which is facing a critical shortage of cargo.

In the first quarter of 2025, volumes of exported coal transported by Russian railways to the Azov, Black, and Baltic Sea ports significantly decreased. The main reason is the inability of coal companies to meet the declared supply volumes.

The share of coal not provided for transportation reached 30% of the previously ordered amount. As a result, the Russian rail monopoly is forced to maintain an excess fleet of wagons, which are idle without work.

As of April 2025, the surplus of wagons in Russia has already reached 295 thousand units. This puts additional strain on the infrastructure and increases maintenance costs for rolling stock.

According to UISS estimates, sanctions and problems with exports to traditionally highly profitable markets will continue to complicate the industry's functioning. The deepening crisis may negatively affect not only the coal industry but the entire transportation system of the Russian Federation.

Analysis:

According to the data from the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, the crisis in Russia's coal industry significantly impacts other sectors of the Russian economy, particularly rail transport. The shortage of cargo has already led to a significant decrease in coal transportation volumes to sea ports. The main factor in this is the inability of coal companies to meet declared supply volumes. This situation has led the railway monopoly in Russia to maintain an excess fleet of wagons that remain unused. This not only creates additional strain on infrastructure but also increases maintenance costs for rolling stock. Considering sanctions and export problems, the coal crisis may significantly complicate the functioning of the entire transportation system in Russia.