Citizens of Armenia and other countries with a visa-free regime with Russia were allowed until this year to stay there for a total of up to 180 days per year. Legal amendments that took effect on January 1 reduced that period to 90 days.
The change has first and foremost affected truck drivers shipping agricultural produce and other goods to Russia, Armenia’s number one export market. Many of them drive to the vast country on a virtually monthly basis and have to spend several days there on each of those trips. Some told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service last week that they have already been blacklisted by Russian authorities for breaching the 90-day limit.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry expressed concern at the toughening of the Russian entry rules. It said vaguely that the authorities in Yerevan are dealing with the matter.
The situation does not seem to have changed since then as evidenced by the protest staged by the affected truck drivers outside the main government building. Russia has waived the 90-day requirement for Kazakhstan’s truckers, they said, adding that Yerevan should swiftly negotiate the same deal with Moscow.
“We don’t go to Russia as migrant workers or tourists,” argued one of the drivers.
“When some [imported] good become more expensive soon, be aware that this is the reason for that,” said another.
According to Armenian government data, Russia accounted for 37 percent of Armenia’s exports worth $5 billion in January-August 2025. The Russian market is especially important for Armenian exporters of agricultural produce, prepared foodstuffs and alcoholic beverages.
In late August and early September, Russian law-enforcement authorities intercepted over 100 heavy trucks belonging to Armenia’s leading food-exporting company, Spayka. It emerged on Monday that Spayka is under criminal investigation in Russia. Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General said Russian prosecutors have asked it for “legal assistance” to that probe.
The office refused to give any details. Spayka also did not say what the Russian authorities accuse or suspect it of.
The crackdown has disrupted the company’s operations vital for thousands of Armenian farmers. It coincided with Moscow’s renewed warnings about severe economic consequences of the Armenian government’s desire to eventually join the European Union. The EU absorbed less than 1 percent of Armenian exports in January-August.