Business owners are augmenting their financial commitments in the Arctic and Far Eastern regions, bolstering development initiatives.
VTB Bank, a leading financial institution in Russia, has announced significant investments in the country's Far East region, contributing to the modernisation of social infrastructure and economic development.
According to Rusan Eremeko, Deputy Chairman of VTB Bank, the total volume of new investment declarations for the first half of 2025 amounted to 33.1 billion rubles. This figure represents a substantial growth compared to the same period last year, increasing by 1.5 times.
A significant portion of these investments has been directed towards modernising social infrastructure, with a focus on housing construction. The industry structure of such enterprises shows the leading sectors to be construction, tourism, and services.
VTB NPF (VTB Pension Fund) has started crediting state support under the Long-Term Savings Program, further bolstering these investments.
Domestic tourism dynamics support investments in the hospitality industry in popular destinations such as Kamchatka, Primorye, and Sakhalin. In fact, Kamchatka has 4.3 billion rubles in new investment projects, while Primorsky Krai follows with 7 billion rubles.
The largest volume of new investment projects by VTB clients in preferential regimes in 2025 is in the Zabaykalsk region, amounting to 13.7 billion rubles.
Rusan Eremeko reported these investments ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum-2025, emphasising VTB's readiness to work with businesses within the framework of the mechanism of international TORs (Special Economic Zones). He also commented on the increased investments by clients of medium and small businesses in the first half of 2025.
VTB Bank is actively involved in offering financial and investment services through a wide network, including business, investment, and market banking. The institution is also developing crypto custody and payment infrastructure services, which may attract institutional investors.
However, the specific customers of VTB Bank who made the largest investments under preferred legal frameworks in the first half of 2025 are not publicly disclosed in the available sources.
It's worth noting that these investments have contributed to addressing tasks related to attracting and retaining qualified specialists, a crucial factor for the macroregion's economic development.
The laws on MTOs (Special Economic Zones) will come into effect on January 1, 2026, which is expected to further boost investments in the Far East and Arctic regions.
