2026 Issue №1

The Kaliningrad region, as a Russian exclave located at the center of the Baltic region, has found itself at the epicenter of geopolitical confrontation between the Russian Federation and the collective West. With the launch of the Special Military Operation in Ukraine, confrontation with NATO, the European Union, and regional states has reached its peak. The geographical position of the Kaliningrad region has generated threats of transport and economic blockade, while simultaneously enhancing its military and strategic significance as a Russian outpost. The article analyzes the key challenges facing the Kaliningrad region, including its exclave status, sanctions pressure, restrictions on cargo transit through Lithuania, the militarization of the region, and threats of a maritime blockade. It examines the evolution of policies pursued by the Baltic states aimed at isolating the region, as well as Russia’s response measures, including military and political actions. Particular attention is paid to the region’s economic adaptation, including the development of maritime transport, energy security, and the search for new logistics routes under the impact of sanctions. The growing importance of the Baltic Sea as a key transport corridor is emphasized. The study demonstrates that, amid escalating confrontation with the West, the Kaliningrad region is compelled to combine the strengthening of its defense potential with the search for sustainable economic development models that make it possible to minimize risks and maintain control over key transport routes.

The relevance of the study stems from the need to reduce interregional disparities, as stipulated in strategic planning documents. The article examines the provision of federal highways for key settlement centers in the Northwestern Federal District in the context of forming a sustainable socio-economic system. The methodological framework relies on the comparative geographical method and methods of geoinformation analysis, including the construction of buffer zones. The analysis reveals significant spatial heterogeneity in the district’s transport network, driven by historical and natural-climatic factors, and identifies territories with low levels of provision that require additional strategic planning measures. The study establishes that, although federal highways form the transport framework and ensure connectivity, their high density and level of integration are characteristic primarily of the southwestern regions of the district. The findings confirm the hypothesis that federal roads can serve as vectors of socio-economic development for territories.