Canada confiscates seized Russian An-124

Canada has begun the process of confiscating the An-124 Ruslan transport aircraft, which belongs to the Russian airline Volga-Dnepr, and was already under seizure in Canada, said Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration – Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna.

"The confiscation of the Russian plane Ruslan was one of my first goals in the first month of my work as Minister of Justice. And here is the result of our team's work: Canada has begun the process of confiscating the An-124 transport plane Ruslan, which belongs to the Russian airline Volga-Dnepr, and was already seized in Canada… The confiscation procedure is taking place within the Canadian law on special economic measures and now the decision on confiscation must be made by the Ontario Superior Court," Stefanishyna indicated on Facebook.

She noted that this is another important step on the path to justice and the restoration of peace in Ukraine. Filing a lawsuit to seize the aircraft in court is a joint result of the painstaking work of employees of the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in close cooperation with our partners.

"And this is an excellent example of how international law works in practice," Stefanishyna emphasized.

The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that in August 2023, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC), having established the grounds for applying sanctions, satisfied the claim of the Ministry of Justice to apply sanctions in the form of confiscation of assets of the sanctioned Volga-Dnepr to the state's income. The Ministry of Justice transferred the HACC's decision to Canadian partners.

"And now the Attorney General of Canada has applied to the Ontario Superior Court with a motion to confiscate the Russian plane. I am convinced that all actions lead to one thing: Ruslan will soon have a new home - in Ukraine, where it will serve for the good of our state. I am grateful to Canada for its unwavering support and decisive actions. Justice is not just words, but concrete steps that we see today. And this is just the beginning," she summed up.