The EU is trying to stop the supply of Tesla Cybertrucs to Russia. On May 7, the Customs Department under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania blocked the delivery of two electric trucks to Belarus.
According to the Lithuanian customs, these cars cost more than 200 thousand euros and were planned to be delivered to Russian buyers, although this is prohibited by EU sanctions
Lithuanian customs strengthened controls on the export of luxury cars to third countries. During an investigation in 2023, Lithuanian officials found that almost every second luxury car that was exported from the EU to third countries (Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Uzbekistan) later entered the Russian market.
Customs also clarified that they cooperate with US agencies to monitor international sanctions.
However, it is possible to buy the Tesla Cybertruck in Russia. SanctionsLists.org found that the website auto.ru offers 9 ads for sale of the Tesla Cybertuck in Russia. These ads are offered by car dealers in Moscow, Vladivostok, and Novosibirsk. The price of a Cybertruck averages about 26 million rubles ($255,000).
In addition to the Tesla Cybertruck, everyone in Russia can buy products from Elon Musk’s other company, Starlink. Satellite communication terminals are available for $2,500.
Two US congressmen, Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia, wrote a letter in March 2023 expressing concern that Starlink might be used for military purposes in Russia. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk denied these reports, saying they were “categorically false.”
