There is uncertainty in key maritime straits, and Russia has begun exploring alternative transportation routes by land. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Hussain proposed to study the concept of a railway spanning Central Asia to the Indian Ocean, in order to avoid shipping risks caused by important straits.

On August 6, 2026, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Malat Khosrowin was interviewed by TASS and proposed that research should be conducted on the construction of a railway sea route to the Indian Ocean. Considering the potential risks of the Bosphorus Strait and the Strait of Hormuz, the alternative route is planned to pass through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, connecting the land transportation route to India.

When it comes to the infrastructure sector in the country, Husanulin said that the Russian construction industry can undertake an additional investment of about 1 trillion rubles per year. If this investment scale is maintained in the next five years, it can further expand production capacity and land more construction projects. The cross-border railway is still in the research and conceptual stage, and has not yet entered the substantive planning and construction stage, providing new thinking directions for the Eurasian land connectivity.Editor/Min Jing