Russia is considering a potential transport route through Afghanistan and Pakistan to improve its access to South Asian markets and the Indian Ocean, adding a possible new branch to Moscow’s broader effort to develop alternative trade corridors across Eurasia.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin has previously said Moscow is considering a North–South route through Afghanistan to Pakistan, with the possibility of connecting the corridor to wider markets in South Asia. Russia has also discussed transport links with Oman and other regional ports as part of its broader strategy to diversify trade routes.
The potential Afghanistan route would link Central Asia with South Asia and could eventually provide Russia with an overland connection toward Pakistan and Indian Ocean ports. Such a corridor could also give Afghanistan a potentially important role as a transit bridge between Central and South Asia.
Khusnullin said in earlier remarks that Afghanistan and Pakistan had shown interest in international transport corridors connecting them with Russia. At the KazanForum in 2025, he said Afghanistan had offered to serve as a transit country for international corridors and described the development of routes through the region as a significant opportunity.
The proposal would build on Russia’s wider International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which is designed to connect Russia with Iran, India and other markets through a combination of rail, road and maritime routes. Cargo traffic along the corridor has expanded, with Russia reporting significant growth in shipments through Central Asia and other routes in 2026.
Russia has already developed transport links through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran, while India and Iran have been long-standing partners in the INSTC. The corridor is intended to shorten transportation times and reduce reliance on traditional maritime routes such as the Suez Canal.
A route through Afghanistan, however, would face substantial obstacles. Afghanistan does not currently have a nationwide railway network connecting its northern and southern neighbours, meaning major sections of new infrastructure would have to be built. Financing, cross-border agreements, customs coordination and the technical integration of different national rail systems would also be required.
Security is another major challenge. A United Nations sanctions-monitoring report has said Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIL-K, remains a serious threat inside Afghanistan and continues to have the ability to project threats beyond the country. The report also said Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had carried out attacks in Pakistan from Afghanistan territory, contributing to cross-border military confrontation and disruptions to bilateral trade.
A separate UN assessment on ISIL said ISIL-K remained active particularly in northern Afghanistan, including Badakhshan and areas near the Pakistani border. The group has sought alliances with other armed factions, expanded its network of cells and maintained ambitions to project threats into Central Asia and beyond.
The security concerns are particularly relevant for a major railway because any international corridor crossing Afghanistan would require reliable protection of tracks, bridges, stations, border crossings and cargo from militant attacks and other security disruptions.
The UN has also reported broader concerns about terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the region, including the use of emerging technologies and networks by extremist organisations. Its latest Afghanistan reporting continues to treat terrorism and regional security as major issues affecting the country’s international environment.
For Afghanistan, a functioning rail corridor could offer potential transit revenues, create employment and strengthen its position as a link between Central and South Asia. It could also diversify the country’s trade routes at a time when relations with Pakistan have disrupted traditional transport links.
The proposal nevertheless remains at the planning and discussion stage. No final financing agreement, construction timetable or comprehensive railway deal covering a Russia-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India route has been announced.
