Ukraine’s Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna commented on the initiation of the confiscation process for the Russian transport aircraft An-124 ‘Ruslan’, which belongs to the Russian airline ‘Volga-Dnepr’. According to her, this action was one of the first goals of her work as the head of the Ministry of Justice.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“And here is the result of our team’s work: Canada has begun the process of confiscating the An-124 ‘Ruslan’ transport aircraft, which belongs to the Russian airline ‘Volga-Dnepr’, and has already been under arrest in Canada”
Stefanishyna noted that the aircraft is approximately 69 meters long – nearly three-quarters the length of a football field, and its wingspan is even larger. The height of the ‘Ruslan’ reaches 21 meters, which is roughly equivalent to a seven-story building. It is one of the largest transport aircraft in the world, and its confiscation is significant for the future of Ukrainian security and countering Russian aggression.
Procedure and Legal Aspects of Confiscation
The minister clarified that the confiscation process is taking place in accordance with Canada’s law on special economic measures. A decision on the final confiscation must now be made by the Ontario Superior Court. She emphasized that this step is the result of joint efforts by Ukrainian and Canadian law enforcement agencies and is one of the important elements in the fight for justice and the return of property to the Ukrainian state.
“This is another important step towards justice and restoring peace in Ukraine. The filing of the lawsuit for the confiscation of the aircraft in court is a collective result of the diligent work of the staff of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in close cooperation with our partners. And this is a great example of how international law works in practice”
She also reminded that in August 2023, the High Anti-Corruption Court granted the Ministry of Justice’s lawsuit for the recovery of assets from ‘Volga-Dnepr’ to the state, and the decision was forwarded to Canadian colleagues. Canadian lawyers have already submitted a motion to the Ontario Superior Court for the confiscation of the aircraft.
Future Prospects and International Support
According to Stefanishyna, the ‘Ruslan’ may soon find itself in Ukraine, where it will serve the interests of our country. She expressed gratitude to the Canadian side for its decisive actions and support in this process.
Another report from Canada came from the publication Insagua: the country’s government is taking additional measures to obtain full ownership of the Russian aircraft, which has been under arrest in Toronto for over three years. The Attorney General of Canada has approached the Ontario Superior Court with a request for the confiscation of the aircraft.
Additionally, the Belgian depository Euroclear plans to confiscate approximately 3 billion euros from the assets of Russian citizens and companies that have been frozen under international sanctions. These funds are intended to be redistributed among investors who suffered losses due to the confiscation of assets in Russia.