Sharing land borders with trading partners does not remove Russia's dependence on shipping for large volumes of goods. Pipelines often deliver fuel or other cargo to terminals where it can be loaded aboard ships. Extending a pipeline to every buyer would be expensive and complicated, so ships provide an economically practical means of onward distribution. Naval reserves, merchant shipping and sealift capacity are also described as having little redundancy. Heavy dependence on these systems can coexist with limited spare capacity and little public attention.
Notable Point · 12:14-14:09
Why pipelines and land borders do not replace shipping
Russia's land connections and pipeline terminals illustrate why bulk trade still depends on ships, even where overland routes exist.