Lithuania bans use of cars with Russian license plates

Lithuania banned cars with Russian license plates on Monday, except for diplomatic cars and vehicles transiting through Lithuania to and from Russia's Kaliningrad region, according to the Customs Department.

As of March 11, drivers with Russian license plates will be deemed in breach of the legislation and will in turn be liable under the Code of Administrative Offences, the Customs said.

There are still around 50 Russia-registered cars on Lithuanian territory, with their owners facing fines of €200-6,000 ($219-6,561), the authority said, adding these cars would be seized unless they departed from the country.

The Russian citizens who are heading to or from Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast through Lithuania and have corresponding documentation are exempt from the ban, however, transit through Lithuania must not take longer than 24 hours, according to Customs.

Furthermore, cars will not be allowed to enter Lithuania without their owners being physically present in the car.

Lithuania initially banned cars with Russian license plates from entering its territory in September last year, following a recommendation from the European Commission.

All Baltic countries including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, have now banned the entry of vehicles with Russian number plates with Poland, Finland, Norway, and Bulgaria having introduced the bans.