Kaliningrad region is again shifting to large-scale subsidies: in 2026, the Russian authorities plan to allocate 5 billion rubles to support maritime transport, which remains one of the enclave’s most pressing problems. The funds are intended to lower the cost of goods delivery and supposedly positively affect store prices — although past experience shows that residents have not actually felt any real price reductions.
Logistics problems, which worsened after the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine and the country’s international isolation, continue to hit Kaliningrad hardest. Authorities are forced to support not only maritime but also air transport. Residents complain that ticket prices from Kaliningrad to Moscow at the start of 2026 are skyrocketing, and subsidized air tickets are unavailable.
Despite the worsening economic situation, regional authorities presented the Kaliningrad region budget project for 2026–2028 — on the surface, extremely populist. Revenues for next year are projected at 145 billion rubles, while expenditures are expected to reach 161 billion.
Rising transit costs, shortages of construction materials and fuel, and restrictions on the import of critical goods pose long-term challenges for the region. As a result, Kaliningrad is becoming a “weak link” in the Russian economy: formally showing some positive indicators, it actually faces systemic problems that undermine social stability.
Consequently, Kaliningrad has become one of the most illustrative regions demonstrating the destructive effects of the war: logistics failures, air ticket shortages, rising prices, and the need for constant budgetary support all highlight the systemic weakness of the Russian economy.
