The report said the orders were signed Oct. 30 and 31 by Crimea’s Russia-appointed “governor” Sergey Aksyonov and Krasnodar Krai governor Veniamin Kondratyev. Kremlin officials, according to the pro-Kremlin outlet Mash, expressed concern that explosive devices could be concealed in the battery packs of electric vehicles.
Aksyonov told propagandists the restrictions were issued “to guarantee safety” and were based on recommendations from law enforcement and security services. He said the ban would remain in effect “until further notice.”
Earlier this fall, Russian authorities already halted truck traffic across the illegally constructed bridge connecting occupied Crimea to Russia proper. Officials in Krasnodar Krai have directed trucks, along with electric and hybrid cars, to use an alternative overland route from Taganrog, Russia, to Dzhankoy in Crimea, which passes through territory in southern Ukraine under Russian occupation.