Russia prepares to legalize registration of stolen cars from 'unfriendly' countries

The Russian government has submitted a bill to the State Duma that would allow internationally wanted cars to be registered in Russia. According to the bill, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will establish a special procedure for the registration of these vehicles. It was stated that the regulation was prepared to protect the interests of individuals who own vehicles wanted by 'unfriendly countries'.

The background of the bill is that after the start of the war, Western countries stopped responding to the demands of Russian authorities. Because of this situation, the Russian police cannot confirm whether a vehicle is actually stolen. According to The Moscow Times, the bill was first brought to the agenda in February.

According to previous reports by the Izvestiya newspaper, there is a network that legalizes stolen vehicles from Europe in Russia. These vehicles are brought into Russia through the occupied territories of Ukraine, where registration procedures are simplified. Later, the cars registered in the name of a figurehead, for example, are sent to the city of Rostov-na-Donu to be transferred to their real owners, creating a 'clean' history in Russian databases.