The Attorney General of Canada has initiated the process of confiscating the An-124-100 Ruslan transport aircraft of the sanctioned Russian airline Volga-Dnepr. This is reported by "Kryla" with reference to the Canadian publication INsauga.com.
According to a representative of the Department of International Affairs of Canada, the Attorney General applied to the Ontario Superior Court on March 18, 2025, with a request to file a motion to seize the aircraft.
"A person or entity with an interest or right in the seized property has the opportunity to present evidence and participate in administrative and judicial proceedings," a department representative said in an email.
Recall that after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Canada closed its airspace to Russian aircraft. Since then, the An-124 aircraft has remained at Toronto Pearson Airport.
In June 2023, the plane was officially seized, and then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his intention to hand it over to Ukraine.
The owner of the aircraft, Volga-Dnepr, which is under international sanctions, is trying to appeal the confiscation and retain ownership of this An-124 .
Meanwhile, according to the Ukrainian company Antonov, the transfer of the aircraft to Ukraine may take place this year. The company's specialists have already conducted an inspection and confirmed that the An-124 is in perfect condition.