Russia's Volga-Baltic river transport route will open for cargo traffic on April 30, a senior river transport official said on Thursday.
The opening of the route means cargo can now transit between the Caspian and Baltic Seas, linking landlocked Central Asian producers to the big refineries of the lower Volga and export routes to European markets via the Baltic.
Closed during the frozen winter, rivers offer extra transport capacity for Russia's booming oil output.
Traders say between eight and 10 million tonnes of oil are shipped via the Volga-Baltic route each year.