FEBRUARY 12, 2025 — A court in Volgograd fined a local resident, Igor Yermilov, 1,000 rubles ($10.64 USD) for having a white-blue-white flag on his car’s license plate, reports Kavkazr.
Authorities deemed the colors similar to the flag of the Freedom of Russia Legion, a group fighting for Ukraine that Russia classifies as a terrorist organization.
The ruling, issued on January 30 by the Soviet District Court of Volgograd, came after police officers noticed the flag on Yermilov’s Chevrolet Cruze on January 23.
According to case documents, Yermilov purchased the car in May 2023 and had not replaced the license plate since. He stated he was unaware that the white-blue-white flag was considered prohibited symbolism under Russian law.
The court dismissed Yermilov’s defense.
This is not the first case of penalties related to similar flags on license plates.
In May 2023, two women in Zelenograd were fined after authorities noticed what they described as an “altered color scheme” of the Russian flag on their license plates. Both stated they had not modified the plates and suggested that the red stripe had faded over time.
In January 2025, a man in Pskov was fined for a white-blue-white flag on the rear license frame of his car. He admitted guilt but said he had purchased the vehicle in 2021 and was unaware of any prohibited symbols on it.
The white-blue-white flag has been used by opponents of Russia’s war in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began. Some anti-war activists argue that replacing the red stripe with white represents a rejection of war and bloodshed.
