The Public Consumer Initiative (OPI) has announced plans to pursue legal action against the largest foreign truck manufacturers, including Scania, Volvo, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, and Iveco. The organization also intends to intervene in the control of spare parts kits for vehicles produced by these brands in Russia, according to statements attributed to OPI leader Oleg Pavlov.
Pavlov explained that Western policy measures, driven by sanctions, have led the major automakers to suspend operations in Russia for an indefinite period. He named brands such as Scania, Volvo, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, and Iveco as examples of firms whose trucks—long central to Russia’s transport and logistics sectors, especially the heavy-duty tractors—were widely used before the sanctions. He spoke on Sunday, detailing the scale of the impact these suspensions have had on the Russian market and on the broader supply chain that relied on these vehicles.
According to Pavlov, the subsidiaries and affiliates of these companies registered in Russia have also ceased operating, including the provision of technical services and maintenance. This broader withdrawal reshapes access to authorized support and genuine spare parts, complicating maintenance for fleets that still depend on older models and equipment that are no longer supported locally.
OPI’s leadership contends that the decision to suspend operations in Russia infringes upon the legitimate interests of many Russian citizens and organizations that rely on reliable transport infrastructure. Pavlov emphasized that the move appears to be legal and socially perilous, arguing it disrupts the ability of local businesses and drivers to operate safely and efficiently in a critical sector of the economy.
In a separate note, it was referenced that Huawei had previously announced store closures in Russia, illustrating a pattern of multinational players reassessing their physical and commercial footprints in the country amid ongoing geopolitical and economic shifts. The surrounding context remains complex, with policy shifts affecting industry supply chains and service networks that had once been taken for granted by operators in Russia’s transport sector.