07.09.2024, 10:06 a.m.
Berlin. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Deutsche Bahn’s freight transport division has transported 108,000 containers through Russian territory. This is according to a paper from the Ministry of Transport for the Bundestag’s budget committee, writes “Spiegel”.
According to the report, the transport volume in 2023 decreased compared to the previous year. In that year, 35,000 containers with a total weight of 630,000 tons were transported between Asia and Europe. This corresponds to 0.3 percent of the total volume transported by DB Cargo.
Freights from DB’s logistics subsidiary Schenker have also declined. While more than 25,500 containers were transported through the region in 2022, the following year the figure was 16,000. DB Cargo’s transports on the Belarusian and Russian sections of the route are carried out by the United Transport and Logistics Company – Eurasian Rail Alliance (UTLC), in which the Russian and Belarusian state railways are also involved.
According to DB Cargo, this is in line with the EU’s sanctions requirements. The transports are justified by their better ecological balance compared to ships or planes. FDP budget officer Frank Schäffler criticized: “Cargo has no place in Russia. DB must not indirectly support the Putin system.”
more news from the region
