Delivery Robots Set to Hit the Streets of St. Petersburg
Russia’s tech giant Yandex is preparing to roll out autonomous delivery robots across St. Petersburg, marking a major step toward integrating robotics into urban logistics and everyday life.
A New Level of Everyday Convenience
The future is arriving in Russia’s northern capital. Yandex is in talks with St. Petersburg authorities to launch an autonomous delivery service using robotic couriers.
The pilot program, expected to go live in December, will deploy three to five rovers across six locations in the Primorsky district. The robots will operate from Yandex.Lavka dark stores — mini-warehouses for fast online order fulfillment — in partnership with national retailers and restaurant chains. A similar pilot in Murino, near St. Petersburg, showed strong results, with robots successfully delivering up to 20 kg of goods within a 2-kilometer radius. Upon arrival, customers received notifications to collect their orders directly from the robots.
According to Yandex representative Marina Pereskokova, most Russians have embraced the idea of robotic couriers. Surveys show that 77 to 83 percent of respondents now see them as a normal part of urban infrastructure.
The initiative also reflects Yandex’s growing investment in autonomous systems, one of the company’s six key business divisions alongside robotaxis and logistics automation.
Faster, Cheaper, Smarter Delivery
The deployment of autonomous delivery robots is more than a technological experiment — it’s a sign of Russia’s evolving logistics landscape. The project underscores the rise of 'last-mile' automation, where human involvement is minimized to boost efficiency and scalability.
By expanding robot courier operations, Yandex is also fueling demand for domestic component manufacturing and system integration, creating new growth opportunities for Russian tech firms. For consumers, the impact could be transformative: faster delivery times, reduced costs, and more reliable service.
For the country’s tech ecosystem, it signals progress toward digital sovereignty and reduced dependence on foreign logistics platforms. Yandex’s delivery robots have already completed over 250,000 orders in 2025 across 21 Moscow districts, Murino, and Innopolis near Kazan — a clear indication that the concept is ready to scale.
From Pilot to Nationwide Rollout
If successful, the St. Petersburg pilot will serve as a model for broader regional expansion. Analysts estimate that the operational cost of robotic delivery has dropped fivefold since 2019, now matching — and soon undercutting — traditional courier costs with the upcoming Rover 4.0 generation.
For the initiative to reach full potential, Yandex and its partners must develop an ecosystem that includes retailers, logistics operators, and city authorities. They must also address legal, safety, and infrastructure challenges, ensuring the robots can safely navigate sidewalks and public spaces.
In the long term, the model could become an exportable solution for countries across the CIS and Global South seeking affordable, efficient delivery systems.
