Yaroslav Nilov, the head of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs, signaled a clear shift in strategic thinking about crime penalties. He told his Telegram audience that the legislative body intends to harmonize the sanctions for theft and the unlawful taking of a vehicle, aiming to ensure that similar crimes carry comparable consequences. The statement reflects a movement within the committee to revisit and revise the Criminal Code in order to tighten accountability for vehicle-related offenses.
Currently, there has been a noticeable rise in car thefts, with incidents increasing by about one third compared with the previous year. Experts attribute this uptick to several pressures: a shortage of cars on the market, persistent gaps in spare parts supply, and broader vulnerabilities in the supply chain that can embolden criminal activity. In many cases, the stolen vehicles are not immediately abandoned but are used as a means to an end, complicating the legal response and the ability of investigators to secure a decisive verdict that matches the severity of the offense.
When suspects are apprehended, some admit to merely taking the car for a ride and frame their actions under Article 166 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which addresses illegal possession of a vehicle without the intent to steal. The penalties under Article 166 are generally lighter than those prescribed for theft, which can lead to a perception that certain actions carry disproportionately lenient consequences. This disparity makes establishing theft as the true intent challenging in many cases, and it can hinder efforts to impose weightier sanctions where appropriate.
Nilov argues that under current rules, it is sometimes possible to evade substantial penalties by presenting the offense as a minor transgression or by resolving the matter with relatively small administrative or financial penalties. He stresses that this approach is unacceptable and inconsistent with the public demand for stronger deterrence against car-related crimes. The proposed reforms would require lawmakers to balance the desire for effective punishment with fair and enforceable standards, ensuring that the criminal code clearly distinguishes degrees of wrongdoing and ties them to proportionate penalties.