Freight Transportation via Winter Roads ("Zimniks")

Freight transportation via zimniks is a specialized service for moving various cargoes to remote regions of Russia during the cold season. Zimniks are temporary roads formed over frozen rivers, lakes, and snow surfaces, providing vital cargo flow to areas lacking year-round infrastructure.

Our company offers comprehensive freight services on the key winter routes in Yakutia, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, and Ust-Kut, delivering reliable logistics solutions tailored to severe climatic and transport conditions typical of the Arctic and Far North.

Key Winter Roads and Regional Characteristics

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

• Length of zimniks: over 16,000 km.
• Operational period: mostly from November–December to April (4.5–5 months a year, depending on weather conditions).
• Climatic challenges:
  • Frequent blizzards, deep snow cover (up to 1.8 m), strong winds, extreme frosts down to –50 °C.
  • Significant difficulties include ice crust, unfrozen rivers, and rapid snow drifting in tundra zones.
• Freight routes:
  • Yakutsk — Tiksi
  • Yakutsk — Vilyuisk — Mirny — Ust-Kut (approx. 1100 km, of which 830 km is zimnik)
  • Yakutsk — Ust-Nera — Zyryanka — Chersky — Bilibino — Pevek
  • Yakutsk — Susuman — Orotukan — Magadan
  • Yakutsk — Peschanka field

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (ChAO)

• Length of zimniks: major routes up to 810 km within the Bilibino district alone.
• Operational period: winter season lasts up to 9 months; marine navigation runs from June to October.
• Climatic challenges:
  • Severe Arctic climate (average January temperatures from –22°C to –37°C; absolute minimum down to –61°C).
  • Severe blizzards and winds up to 30–40 m/s, snowdrifts reaching several meters.
  • Extended polar night, extreme weather events, permafrost.
• Freight routes:
  • Pevek — Bilibino — Omolon — Omsukchan — Magadan
  • Pevek — Bilibino — Yakutsk
  • Pevek — Bilibino — Peschanka (Baimskoye)
  • Pevek — Cape Nagleynyn

Ust-Kut (Irkutsk Region)

• Length of zimniks: a significant portion of the route from Ust-Kut to Mirny is via zimnik roads (830 out of 1100 km).
• Operational period: winter roads operate from December to April, when rivers freeze and dirt roads become passable.
• Climatic challenges:
  • Sharply continental climate: average January temperature –25 °C, with possible frosts down to –58 °C.
  • Winter snow drifts, limited visibility, ice crossings.
• Logistical features:
  • Ust-Kut is a key transport hub for forwarding cargo via the Lena River and further into northern districts.

Advantages of Working with Us

• Own terminal and transshipment infrastructure in Ust-Kut, Yakutsk, and Pevek enables rapid cargo processing, consolidation, and dispatch of even the most challenging loads.
• Experienced crews and equipment: all-terrain vehicles, thorough personnel training, and full support in harsh climatic and road conditions.
• Reliable delivery and schedule adherence due to our own fleet and direct logistics without intermediaries.