Another Industry Has Collapsed In The Russian Federation
- 16.02.2026, 13:33
The problems in the economy are mounting.
Russian manufacturers of road construction equipment (RCE) faced a sharp decline in sales for the second year in a row due to growing problems in the economy. According to the results of 2025, the companies sold products worth 54.7 billion rubles, which is 28% less compared to the previous year. At the same time in 2024 the indicator was at the level of 75.8 billion, having decreased by 15% year-on-year.
This follows from the data of the association "Rosspetsmash", cited by "Vedomosti".
In particular, shipments of mini-loaders decreased in 2025 to 738 units (-29%), crawler bulldozers to 632 (-27%), pipe-laying cranes to 91 (-28%), front-end loaders to 533 (-20%), motor graders to 251 (-26%), excavators to 185 (-17%), and rollers to 136 (-48%). The exception were backhoe loaders, sales of which increased to 932 units (+35%). The main reason for the decline in demand for such equipment is the stagnation of residential and infrastructure construction, explained "Kommersant" partner SBS Consulting Dmitry Babansky. According to Sherpa Group research, the growth rate of construction work in 2025 (by 2.5%, up to 18.8 trillion rubles) was the lowest in the last five years. "The rate was lower only in the first year of the pandemic (2.1%)," the analysts specified.
The situation on the DST market also remains crisis due to the high key rate: during the year, orders from commercial organizations remained insignificant, and government orders could not compensate for the decline in demand, said the general director of the association "Spetsavtoprom" Denis Kudryavtsev. Last year, overpayments on leasing contracts reached 35% and higher, making fleet renewal uneconomical for most consumers, said Denis Smyslov, technical director of Mitraxa.
If the key rate remains high, demand for DST will fall even further, which could lead to mass bankruptcies, Kudryavtsev warned. According to him, a temporary solution to help manufacturers was the postponement of the payment of the utilization fee until the end of 2026, but the freed up funds will actually be used by companies to pay off debts. At the same time, the postponement will not help those who have overstocked warehouses and lack working capital, concluded the head of the association "Spetsavtoprom".
The industry is also under pressure from competition from Chinese manufacturers. On the threshold of the next indexation of utilization fee from January 1, 2026, they were able to import a large number of vehicles and increased their market share up to 70%, states Andrey Orlov, junior partner of Triada Partners consulting company. He noted that the stock of Chinese equipment can cover demand for more than a year in advance, and it itself wins in price over Russian manufacturers.
The crisis in the DST market may last until 2028, Kommersant's interlocutors say. "In 2026-2027, no noticeable growth in housing commissioning is expected, especially in the segment of apartment buildings. <�...> On infrastructure construction estimates are the same: 2026 is likely to be at the level of 2025," Babansky noted.