Canada Moves to Confiscate Grounded Russian Antonov Jet for Ukraine
The Canadian government has formally initiated a legal process to confiscate a Russian Antonov An-124-100 “Ruslan” cargo aircraft that has been grounded at Toronto Pearson International Airport since February 2022. The plane, owned by Russian cargo airline “Volga-Dnepr”, was stranded in Canada following the imposition of airspace restrictions against Russian aviation after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to the post of Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna.
She noted that the confiscation process is proceeding under Canada’s “Special Economic Measures Act.” The final ruling will be determined by the Superior Court of Justice in Ontario.
On March 18, 2025, the Attorney General of Canada filed an official claim to confiscate the aircraft. This action follows an August 2023 decision by Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court, which sanctioned the An-124, paving the way for its potential transfer to Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities formally submitted the ruling to their Canadian counterparts earlier this year.
According to Stefanishyna, the move represents the culmination of “intensive coordination between the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs of both countries,” aimed at transforming sanctioned Russian state-owned assets into tangible support for Ukraine.
The An-124, one of the world’s largest cargo planes, has an estimated market value exceeding $100 million. Canada’s action is being closely watched as a test case for broader Western efforts to repurpose frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine's reconstruction and defense.
Canada became the first G7 country to adopt legislation enabling the seizure of Russian state assets in 2022, under amendments to the “Special Economic Measures Act”.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged in 2023 that the aircraft would be transferred to Ukraine as part of Canada’s support package. If successful, this case could become a precedent for other allied nations considering similar asset confiscation mechanisms.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Canada’s Conservative Party has pledged to transfer over C$22 billion (more than US$16 billion) in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine if it wins before the country’s federal election.