During the opening rounds of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, IMZ-Ural released a statement unequivocally condemning the invasion and calling for a peaceful resolution. In March of that year, Ural production ground to a halt due to inability to import components and export bikes out of Russia caused by international sanctions laid on the country. thumb|New Gear Ups at the IMZ-Kazakhstan facility. In light of these issues, the company decided to open a new assembly facility in Petropavl, Kazakhstan. Petropavl, a city roughly 373 miles (600 kilometers) south-east from Irbit, was chosen because it had an established industrial infrastructure and a sizeable Russian-speaking populace.
During the opening rounds of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, IMZ-Ural released a statement unequivocally condemning the invasion and calling for a peaceful resolution. In March of that year, Ural p,roduction ground to a halt due to inability to import components and export bikes out of Russia caused by international sanctions laid on the country. thumb|New Gear Ups at the IMZ-Kazakhstan facility. In light of these issues the company decided to open a new assembly facility in Petropavl, Kazakhstan. Petropavl, a city roughly 373 miles (600 kilometers) south-east from Irbit, was chosen because it had an established industrial infrastructure and a sizeable Russian-speaking populace.