Despite being one of the largest suppliers of trucks for the Russian armed forces, the Russian automotive giant KamAZ has reported losses.
According to the published financial statements for the third quarter of this year, the net loss for the first nine months of 2024 amounts to 3.831 billion rubles (approximately 39 million dollars), with losses from sales reaching 1.041 billion rubles (10.5 million dollars). In contrast, during the previous period in 2023, the company reported a net profit of 15.819 billion rubles (160 million dollars).
This indicates not only a significant decline in financial performance but also a reduction in production—truck sales have dropped by 22%, with total production falling to 18,460 units. In 2023, KamAZ was the leading seller of trucks in Russia, having sold 28,200 units of trucks alone throughout the entire previous year, which accounted for 20% of the total Russian market.
It is noteworthy that the financial report does not specify a division between civilian and military segments of the products, but the fact that the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in Russia is recording staggering losses is quite telling. This is because any military force primarily relies on trucks; for instance, in one motorized rifle regiment of the Russian Federation with 2,100 personnel, there are approximately 500 vehicles.
At the same time, another major supplier of military vehicles to the Russian armed forces, the "Ural Automobile Plant," has not published its reports since 2022. Therefore, it is currently impossible to determine whether KamAZ's decline is a result of a redistribution of orders or if it reflects a genuine downturn in the industry.
It is important to note that until the beginning of 2024, one of the co-owners of KamAZ was the German company Daimler Truck, which held a 15% stake in the Russian company and ceased cooperation in 2022. It remains unknown who exactly purchased this stake.