Canadian Government Updates Seizure Order for Volga-Dnepr An-124
The Canadian government has updated and replaced its previous seizure order for RA-82078 (msn 9773054559153), a Volga-Dnepr Airlines (VI, Ulyanovsk Vostochny) Antonov An-124-100 that was detained at Toronto Pearson on February 28, 2022. Initially seized amid international sanctions imposed on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the updated order now reflects the aircraft’s ownership by multiple entities, including foreign subsidiaries of the Volga-Dnepr Group.
According to sources cited by the Canadian Press, this updated seizure order is a critical step in ensuring that the government has all the necessary evidence when it moves to court. In a statement, officials emphasized that the aim is to secure permanent forfeiture of the aircraft to the Crown. The government noted, “It is necessary to update the order respecting the seizure of the Antonov 124 aircraft located at Toronto Pearson International Airport to include additional persons believed to own, hold or control—directly or indirectly—that property.”
Under the revised order published in the Canada Gazette, ownership of RA-82078 is now attributed to several entities, including Volga-Dnepr Airlines (Ireland) Limited, Volga-Dnepr Logistics B.V., Sberbank, Volga-Dnepr Airlines, Volga-Dnepr Group, and the group’s sanctioned co-founder, Aleksey Isaikin.
The legal maneuver follows a formal cabinet order issued by Ottawa in June 2023, which sought to seize the aircraft ahead of a court process to transfer it permanently to the Crown. However, after retracting its initial order a few months later, the government revised it to ensure that it applies to the foreign subsidiaries of the Volga-Dnepr company.
Meanwhile, Volga-Dnepr Airlines has responded by filing lawsuits and initiating an investment arbitration proceeding at the ICC International Court of Arbitration, contesting what it describes as the “expropriation” of its aircraft. No further updates have been provided regarding this arbitration.
Since its detention in February 2022, RA-82078 has been grounded at Toronto Pearson, continuing to accrue airport parking fees. Volga-Dnepr Airlines was not immediately available for comment on the matter.
This latest development in the ongoing legal and diplomatic tussle highlights the complexities of asset seizure amid international sanctions and the broader geopolitical ramifications stemming from Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com