After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, one of the Russian assets held abroad was the heavy transport aircraft Antonov An-124 “Ruslan”According to the Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, the government of Canada has initiated the process to transfer the aircraft to kyiv, which is in the country since 2022.
On February 24, 2022, the world stopped before the outbreak of a war that lasts until the day, and without glimpse a final in the short term. Together with the direct consequences of the conflict, such as the destruction of military and civil infrastructure, there were also facts that became part of the economic and legal front, such as the confiscation of assets linked to the belligerent parties, including aircraft, vessels and strategic properties retained in third countries.
In that context, already the days of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, one of the largest aircraft in the world, the ANTONOV AN-124 (registration RA-82078) belonging to the Russian airline Volga-Dnepr, was held at the Toronto International Airport, Canada. The measure was taken as part of the international sanctions imposed on Moscow.
With the passing of the months, in June 2023 Canada issued a formal order of confiscation, while announcing the plans to transfer the aircraft to Ukraine. However, later the original decision to reformulate the measure was partially reversed, focusing it on The foreign subsidiaries of the Volga-Dnepr company.
After swings, the Ukrainian Minister of Justice announced a few days ago that the confiscation and subsequent delivery process to Ukraine has begun thanks to the work done by virtue of the Canadian Law of Special Economic Measures. Currently, the case is in the hands of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. On the other hand, through a statement, the Canadian government said that measures were taken so that the property is permanently confiscated. There is still no information regarding the final destination of the aircraft in Ukraine and its subsequent use.
About the AN-124 Ruslan
The ANTONO AN-124 Ruslan is a heavy load transport plane designed during the Soviet era by the Ukrainian firm Antonov. This is the second largest load plane after the AN-225 Mriya, also of Ukrainian design destroyed after a Russian attack at the Hostomel airport, near Kyiv. The Ruslan measures 29 meters long, 21 meters high and has a wingspan of 73.3 meters. It can reach a cruise speed between 800 and 850 km/h, with an operational range of up to 15,700 km and a service roof of 11,600 meters. Its maximum load capacity is 150 tons, although it has transported a record of 171,219 tons, a figure that a worldwide marked.
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