MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. Some 500,000 baseball bats were sold in Russia last year, Moscow's traffic police chief said on Tuesday, presuming that buyers were drivers as the game is not popular in the country.

"Road conflicts with drivers using weapons, bats and knives have become more frequent," Viktor Kovalenko said, adding that car salons have started selling baseball bats.

"One hardly knows where to play baseball in Russia," he said. "The game is not popular in the country", he added, noting that only one pair of baseball gloves and one ball were sold in Russia last year.

Between 70 and 100 drunk drivers were detained in the capital daily, he said.