Russia wants to legalize cars stolen from the occupied territories of Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
The Russian Federation is preparing a bill on registering vehicles wanted by Interpol at the initiative of “unfriendly” countries. The changes are explained by problems in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
The Russian State Duma wants to adopt a bill that would allow vehicles wanted by Interpol at the initiative of police in "unfriendly" countries to be registered in Russia. The Russian Interior Ministry explains the need for the changes, in particular, by problems with registering vehicles in the occupied territories of Ukraine. The Moscow Times reports, with UNN carrying the story.
Details
"Igor Zubov, the Russian deputy interior minister who addressed the committee, emphasized that the proposed changes were partly prompted by the war in Ukraine. According to the deputy minister, his colleagues in the occupied territories often encounter problems when registering ‘former Ukrainian vehicles,’" the publication writes.
Zubov said that the vehicles had been "placed on an Interpol wanted list, and subsequently, while conscientiously complying with the law, we could not register them."
According to the publication, he called the proposed changes a temporary measure so that the cars would "not gather dust and sit idle." At the same time, a representative of the Russian Interior Ministry said that the new rules would not mean the automatic registration of all vehicles that are wanted.
"According to the police official, those who initiated the search for a particular vehicle can ‘write to Russia, come in person, or send documents’ to prove the validity of their claims," the publication writes.
After the start of the war in Ukraine and the introduction of Western sanctions, Russia reportedly became one of the largest markets for cars stolen in Europe and North America.
"From February 2024 to July 2026, Interpol registered 4,798 reports concerning vehicles stolen in Canada alone that were subsequently operated in Russia. Thousands of stolen foreign-made cars also entered the Russian market through the UAE as part of parallel imports," the article says.