The proposal would let the Interior Ministry set special procedures for cars listed as stolen internationally. The ministry says it has found about 1,500 such vehicles in Russia since 2022, and claims foreign authorities rarely answer its inquiries. The bill was drafted on Vladimir Putin’s orders.

Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov alleged “double standards” and abuses in international police systems. He said Western countries stopped responding to Russian requests after the invasion of Ukraine, leaving officials unable to verify whether vehicles were stolen.

Izvestia has reported that cars stolen in Europe are already being brought through occupied Ukrainian territories, registered to proxies and then re-registered elsewhere in Russia to give them a clean record.