Ride’s too hot? Stolen STALIN LIMO found in Moscow day after the heist

A luxurious, heavily-armored limousine that purportedly carried around Joseph Stalin himself was reportedly found stashed in a garage in Moscow. The armored vehicle is estimated to be worth $2.8 million.

The grand theft rocked the Russian media on Friday, when it emerged that the ZIS-115 was snatched by a crew of six from a garage in the north of Russia’s capital. The suspects broke into an ordinary car shed where the limo sat and towed the 4.2-ton vehicle away.

But they apparently did not make it far. The car was recovered on Saturday in another garage in the capital, social media outlet BAZA reported.

It is not yet clear whether the thieves planned to move the vehicle or if they simply abandoned it, realizing the ride became way too hot to handle. No suspects have been detained over the heist so far.

FILE PHOTO. A ZIS-115 is pictured at a museum. © Getty Images / Elizaveta Becker

The ZIS-115 is a luxurious limo produced in 1949-55 for top Soviet officials. The vehicle boasts a very thick body and window armor capable of stopping rifle-caliber bullets at close range, as well as withstanding a hand grenade blast. Only 50 limos of the type were produced – and that particular car is said to have been used by Joseph Stalin. It is estimated to be worth around $2.8 million. 

The vehicle reportedly belongs to the chief of the security detail of Ruslan Tarpan – a wealthy Ukrainian businessman, sometimes described as an ‘oligarch’. According to Russian media, the owner is currently under house arrest in his home country.

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