The Russian company that produced the limousine of President Vladimir Putin took over the plant of the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota in St. Petersburg, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation reports. announced Friday.
Former Toyota production facilities were transferred to the Central Automotive Research Institute (NAMI), which is a subsidiary of the ministry.
NAMI was responsible for to produce the Aurus luxury sedan and limousine used by Putin during his inauguration in 2018 in partnership with Russian automaker Sollers.
“The agreement provides for the full transfer of ownership of the factory building, equipment and land,” the ministry said in a statement, Interfax reports.
Toyota too confirmed broadcast in a press release on Friday.
Neither the Russian agency nor the Japanese automaker disclosed the terms of the agreement.
Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade said it was looking for ways to resume production at the plant “as soon as possible.”
Toyota announced its decision to end car production in Russia in September, citing mounting supply chain problems.
A Toyota spokesman said “nothing has been decided” about the future of the St. Petersburg plant in March, a year after the company suspended production there.
Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said on March 16 that his department is considering the possibility of transferring Toyota’s Russian assets to NAMI.
NAMI has previously acquired factories in Russia built by Renault and Nissan following the exodus of Western companies due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
The Russian automobile industry has been particularly hard hit by business boycotts and harsh international sanctions.
