The Russian State Duma voted unanimously to use only Russian-manufactured cars when going about official business in their constituencies, starting in 2024.

According to State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, deputies in Moscow have already begun replacing “retired” official vehicles with domestic brands. Volodin believes this “will help develop the Russian automobile industry and keep budget funds in the country.”

On August 3, while meeting with heads of manufacturing companies, Putin demanded an end to state purchases of foreign cars for officials and said that all civil servants in the country should drive domestic cars. The next day, Volodin replied that deputies would “start with themselves.”

Putin’s initiative is reminiscent of Boris Yeltsin’s 1997 decree banning the purchase of foreign cars for government officials. Two years later, Yeltsin, who drove a foreign car himself, reversed course after constant complaints from officials about breakdowns.