yakutia Has Failed to Carry Out Northern Supply Run of Essential Goods

The northern supply run in yakutia has been disrupted due to a lack of funding and fuel. Several northern regions are now left without sufficient supplies of food, construction materials, and equipment. First deputy prime minister of the republic nikolai bochkov has accused the federal government of failing to allocate funds for dredging the River Lena basin. Fuel purchases have been restricted due to the fuel crisis. Cargoes that were supposed to be delivered by ships are now being transported by motorboats, with priority given to gold mining companies rather than the delivery of essential goods.

Previously, the authorities attributed the disruption in deliveries to a shortfall in coal production due to equipment breakdowns at one of the open-pit mines. However, total coal exports from yakutia have increased, and residents do not understand why supplies to entire regions depend on a single enterprise. The authorities keep changing their explanations but do not answer questions about where the funds allocated for navigation preparations went.

The lack of funds is already forcing the closure of cultural centers and gyms. PMs plan to suspend operations at some schools and kindergartens. At the same time, the 2027 budget allocates 11 billion rubles for the construction of a bridge across the River Lena. Some PMs are proposing to reconsider the feasibility of these expenditures, since the authorities lack the funds even to pay the salaries of utility workers, to whom they have owed payments for over two months.

The bridge has been under discussion since soviet times. In 2006, the federal government promised to build a tunnel under the river, but the project was derailed by the financial crisis. In 2014, the allocated funds were redirected to the “Crimean” bridge. Construction costs are currently estimated at 175 billion rubles. The region continues to plan expensive infrastructure projects, even though it cannot ensure the timely delivery of goods or the payment of salaries.