Ukraine Asserts Ownership of Antonov Cargo-Passenger Aircraft

Ukraine has taken control of an Antonov cargo-passenger aircraft AN-140-100 that was previously under Russian ownership.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, the aircraft has been acquired by Ukraine from the “sanctioned” Russian company Rostec.

The aircraft had been handed to Ukrainian state-owned enterprise Antonov for technical adjustments and tests prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

Rostec supplies “combat aircraft” for Russia’s military, said the Security Service.

In a statement, the Security Service said that “the Russian plane was on the balance sheet of the Moscow Aviation Complex named after S.V. Ilyushin”, which is part of the structure of “Rostech” and is the leading manufacturer of military aircraft of the Russian Federation”.

The organisation added: “Currently, SBU investigators are investigating the actions of the management of this Russian company under Art. 110-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (financing of actions committed with the aim of changing the borders of the territory or the state border of Ukraine). The investigation is ongoing.”

Last month, the Canadian government decided to seize a Volga-Dnepr AN-124 stranded at Toronto Pearson Airport since the start of the war in Ukraine, prompting Russia to call the action “shameless theft”.

In April, the former head of Antonov was charged with alleged “negligence” following the destruction of the Antonov AN-225 “Mriya” aircraft at the start of the Ukraine-Russia war.