Sanctioned oligarch Vladimir Potanin's fintech group T-Technologies has closed the deal to to acquire leading car classifieds platform Auto.ru from Russian technology giant Yandex (YNDX) for RUB35bn ($380mn), financed through debt, according to The Bell citing company disclosures.

Closing the deal is in line with previous reports, as T-Technologies had been considered the main bidder for Auto.ru since mid-February, although Sberbank (SBER) and another classifieds major Avito were also reportedly interested. 

Kommersant daily previously cited INFOLine Analytics as estimating Auto.ru at RUB20bn–RUB25bn based on EBITDA of RUB2bn–RUB3bn. Sources told RBC business portal that RUB35bn would be expensive but justified by opportunities to integrate lending products.

The Bell notes that the price appears relatively high; however, T-Bank is primarily targeting the platform to support the expansion of its car loan business, which has been developing successfully despite stagnation in the automotive market.

Yandex had reportedly been seeking to sell Auto.ru since late 2025, as declining performance weighed on its classifieds segment. The company stated that segment revenue fell by 5% year-on-year (y/y), “primarily due to the dynamics of Auto.ru sales amid the ongoing downturn in the car market,” according to The Bell citing Yandex disclosures.

Yandex did not disclose specific financial results for Auto.ru; however, it reported that listings on the platform accounted for 43% of cars sold in Russia. The company originally acquired the service in 2014 from founder Mikhail Rogalsky and his spouse for $175mn, according to The Bell.

As covered by bne IntelliNews, both T-Technologies (former TCS Banking Group controlling online bank Tinkoff) and Interros (main shareholder of Norilsk Nickel metals major) are controlled by sanctioned Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin.

Potanin bought the bank from the exiled founder Oleg Tinkov, as the as yet unsanctioned Potanin was picking up existing Western assets and rebuilding his banking empire.

T-Technologies also expanded into tech and fintech, with deals such as buying 64% of Tochka fintech service, 10% stake in Russian internet major Yandex (YNDX), and cloud major Selectel.