New car sales sank almost 63% in Russia in March year-on-year, industry data showed Wednesday, as the West pummels the country with sanctions over Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine.
The massive drop in the car and light commercial vehicle segment comes after Russian troops entered Ukraine on Feb. 24, prompting severe Western sanctions, including a ban on spare parts export to Russia.
The Russian operation also caused the ruble to plummet in value, making Russians less likely to buy imported cars.
Only 55,129 units were sold last month, a 62.9% drop from the same period last year, according to the Association of European Businesses.
The association did not explain why the figures fell, as it would usually.
Sales of the country's most popular and affordable brand, Lada, whose Avtovaz manufacturer is majority-owned by the Nissan-Renault group, fell even more sharply by 64%.
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