BMW has ceased illegal car exports to Russia.

The German automotive group BMW discovered violations in the export of vehicles from its Hannover plant to Russia as a result of an internal audit. This was reported on Sunday, December 22, by Deutsche Welle, citing the company's statement.

The German automaker BMW has identified violations in the export to Russia from its branch in Hannover.

Previously, Business Insider wrote that over 100 premium BMW cars were delivered to Russian buyers despite the imposed sanctions. The Munich company confirmed this information and stated that it has halted exports and dismissed the employees involved.

It is important to note that Russia is under sanctions in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Among the restrictions is also a ban on car exports. BMW emphasizes that the company complies with these sanctions; however, products sometimes find their way to the Russian market through so-called gray imports. In this case, goods are supplied by third parties, bypassing official channels.

BMW Group noted that it is actively taking steps to stop such imports.

Additionally, the British automotive group Jaguar Land Rover sold 100% of its shares in its Russian representative office to local top managers. The asset sale agreement took place on October 31.