Russia's Infrastructure Playbook in Mongolia

Russian construction firm NatsProyektStroy (National Project Construction) has set its sights on Mongolia, expressing interest in a wide range of infrastructure projects from railways and highways to hydropower and even a Ulaanbaatar metro. Russia’s active interest in Mongolian infrastructure development, coinciding with Ulaanbaatar’s ambitious infrastructure and industrial downstream push and evolving Russian-US dynamics, merits careful scrutiny.

While ostensibly economic in nature, Moscow’s overtures carry significant geopolitical implications for both Mongolia and the regional balance of power. Russia's interest in Mongolia comes as Mongolia begins major infrastructure and energy projects (dubbed as 14-mega projects) worth billions of dollars.