Finland has asked owners of cars with Russian license plates to leave the country by March 16 of this year in light of the ban on the entry and presence of vehicles registered in Russia in the country. This requirement is based on a decision taken in response to the current European Union sanctions against Russia due to the situation in Ukraine. The measure was reported by local public broadcaster Yle.

The Finnish Customs Service announced that after this date, the presence in the country of cars with Russian license plates will be considered the subject of a special investigation. This investigation will establish the circumstances surrounding the presence of such vehicles in Finland, including the length of their stay and the completion of the necessary customs procedures. However, no specific action plan has been formulated to deal with vehicles remaining in the country after the deadline.

Sami Rakshit, head of the Finnish Customs Service, noted that the issue of the fate of Russian cars remaining in Finland will be decided on an individual basis. At the same time, he emphasized that the exact number of such cars in the country is unknown and there will be no active pursuit of them.