Russian Federal Highways

Russian federal highways (Russian: Автомобильные дороги федерального значения Российской Федерации or Avtomobil'nye dorogi federal'nogo znacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii, meaning "Highways of federal importance in Russian Federation") are the most important highways in Russia which are the federal property. The following motorways are designated as federal.

• All highways
  • which connect Moscow with the capitals of the neighbouring countries and with the administrative centres of the subjects of the Russian Federation. They are identified by the prefix "M" in the national route signs;
  • which are parts of the international road networks: European and Asian, identified by prefixes "E" and "AH" in the international route signs used simultaneously with the national route signs.
• Some highways
  • which connect administrative centers of the subjects of the Russian Federation with each other (national route sign prefix "P")
  • which are branching and bridging roads (national prefix "A"):
    • access roads that lead to major transportation nodes and special objects
    • access roads from the administrative centers of the subjects of the Russian Federation which has no highway connection with Moscow to the nearest sea and river ports and to the international borders.
    • which interlink other federal highways.

The federal highways are classified in Russia into two categories: "motorways/Avtomagistral" (Russian: магистральная автомобильная дорога, автомагистраль, not the same as the English term motorway) and "other".