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Lithuania seizes first car with Russian number plates after change in rules

by Elsa Court and The Kyiv Independent news desk March 12, 2024 10:23 PM 1 min read

The car seized by Lithuanian Customs on March 11, 2024. (Lithuanian Customs)

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Lithuania has seized the first Russian-registered car since a change in rules requiring Russian vehicles to be re-registered in Lithuania, Lithuanian Customs announced on March 12.

Lithuanian Customs announced earlier in March that all persons with Russian-registered vehicles in Lithuania have until March 11 to re-register the cars in Lithuania or leave the country and the EU altogether.

The car was seized at 11 p.m. local time on March 11 at the Medininkai border crossing, Lithuanian Customs reported.

The car, a 41,000 euro ($45,000) Audi Q7, was being driven by a Moldovan citizen from Lithuania to Belarus.

"When checking the documents submitted by the driver, it was found that the owner of the car is a completely different person - a Russian citizen," Lithuanian Customs said. The driver claimed he did not know about the new rules.

According to Lithuanian media outlet Delfi, the vehicle will likely be confiscated and may be transferred to Ukraine.

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia all banned entry to vehicles with Russian registration in September 2023, following a recommendation from the European Commission.

Authors: Elsa Court, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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