In Surgut, the former head of the local traffic police, Roman Kuzovlev, faced action from traffic police on two separate occasions for driving a vehicle with tinted front side windows. A Telegram channel named K-Inform Surgut first reported the incidents, noting that Kuzovlev was cited by officers for the window tint transmittance and was required to address the violation on the spot before the matter escalated. After the initial stop, a second encounter occurred about 50 meters away, during which officers rechecked the glass and, following continued resistance, placed him under custody. A formal report was then filed under Article 19.3 of the Administrative Code for disobedience to a lawful request by a police officer.
The episodes trace back to a period of change within Surgut’s traffic policing. In 2019, Kuzovlev exited his role as head of the city’s traffic police after a video from a business planning meeting surfaced. The footage showed him admonishing subordinates for not meeting a plan and urging the submission of a large number of reports per shift, with an emphasis on enforcing compliance among drivers of tinted vehicles. Reports indicate that during that time, steps were taken in Surgut to adjust vehicle registrations to facilitate the installation of window tint, reflecting broader tensions surrounding enforcement practices and administrative decisions in local traffic governance.
A separate note from the region mentions traffic police activity in Sochi, where inspectors previously dealt with a case involving a driver of a shuttle bus believed to be under the influence. The juxtaposition of these events highlights ongoing scrutiny of traffic enforcement standards and the processes used to ensure public safety on the roads.