The Finnish Enforcement Authority has seized nearly 4 million euros belonging to Russia. These funds were blocked at the request of the Ukrainian national company “Naftogaz” and its subsidiaries, as part of ongoing legal actions related to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Details of the Seizure and Source of Funds
Previously, the Finnish Enforcement Authority primarily seized real estate owned by Russia within the country. However, this time, financial assets were seized. According to the decision, a temporary seizure has been placed on approximately 3.7 million euros, which were part of a joint cooperation program at the external borders of the European Union, involving Finland and Russia. The program was coordinated by the Finnish Ministry of Labor and Economy and aimed to support the development of border regions in both countries.
Documents indicate that Russia transferred its share of funding—about 3.7 million euros—before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. After the war began, the project was halted, and the funds remained in the accounts of the Finnish ministry.
Legal Actions Regarding Russian Assets and Compensation
Since the beginning of 2024, according to Finnish media, Russian assets worth over 40 million euros have been seized in Finland. In addition to the seizures, court proceedings have also been initiated in the country to claim compensation from Russia for damages incurred.
In October 2024, the Helsinki District Court, at the request of companies from the “Naftogaz” group, seized a number of Russian assets. The court granted the request of “Naftogaz Ukraine” and five other companies from the “Naftogaz” group, placing a seizure on specific assets owned by Russia within Finland.
Earlier, in April 2023, the Arbitration Tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ordered Russia to pay Naftogaz Ukraine 5 billion US dollars as compensation for damages caused by the seizure of “Naftogaz Group” assets in Crimea in 2014. This pertains to the reimbursement of losses and destroyed property since the annexation of the peninsula.