Where Are the Air Bags? Russia’s Hobbled Auto Industry Struggles to Reboot

Western sanctions brought Russia’s car industry to a halt earlier this year. As it reboots, it’s becoming smaller, more technologically backward, and more isolated – a foreshadowing of what might exist for the rest of Russia’s struggling economy.

Within weeks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, most Western car companies ceased operations in the country. The sanctions cut off the supply of parts and in turn Russian car factories stopped production. By May, car production was down 97% from a year ago.