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Don’t Overtake the Russian SOBR “Police”, They’ll Bash Your Car

The main reason for which driving a car in Russia requires a dash cam just as much as it requires the vehicle itself, is that you can easily be abused. We’re not just talking about other drivers, but the official forces as well.
Russian SOBR kicking a car 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
The latest example of this comes from the video below, which shows the Russian SOBR “police” doing just that to a driver. Never mind those quotes, we’ll explain them in a minute.

The footage shows a driver overtaking a van that turned out to belong to the SOBR. Shortly after that, as he was driving behind a second vehicle also belonging to the SOBR (a Chevrolet Niva), the van passes him crossing the double line, with a man in a black uniform signalling him to pull over.

The SOBR members quickly gather round the man’s car, cursing and kicking the vehicle. We see them using their training on a civilian that doesn’t appear to have done anything - last time we checked, overtaking an unmarked “police” van in the conditions seen here wasn’t against the law.

Fortunately, one of the men in uniforms notices the driver’s dash camera and calls off the bashing operation.

What does SOBR stand for?

Ah, yes, those quotes. First of all, we used them because these guys don’t seem to serve or protect the citizen behind the wheel. Moreover, SOBR stands for Special Rapid Response Unit, which isn’t classified as police, but rather as a sub-division of the Russian Interior Ministry.

SOBR includes senior-ranker officers, who receive superior training compared to those who are part of the standard police. The Unit has a 23-year history and is also active in Belarus.

Consider this some sort of Russia’s SWAT teams. That turn against their citizens from time to time.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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