Canadian court moves to confiscate a stranded Russian Antonov An‑124 transport plane that has been parked on the tarmac of Toronto’s Pearson Airport for almost four years, accumulating over one million euros in parking fees. The aircraft, built in Kiev and operated by the Russian firm Volga‑Dnepr, landed in Canada in 2020 and has not left the apron since. In June 2023 Canadian authorities took formal control of the plane, but the path to permanent seizure has been hampered by a complex web of offshore companies that hold the aircraft’s ownership rights. On 18 March, the Canadian Attorney General filed a formal request for confiscation in the Ontario Superior Court. Volga‑Dnepr has responded with a €63 million lawsuit, calling the Canadian move ‘piracy’. Legal scholars note that the case could set a precedent under Canada’s 2022 amendments to the Special Economic Measures Act, which now allows sanctioned Russian assets to be seized and redirected to aid Ukraine’s reconstruction. The plane is currently undergoing technical inspections after being exposed to three Canadian winters, and Canadian officials are exploring the possibility of employing Ukrainian technicians to maintain it if confiscation is approved. The dispute highlights the broader international legal and economic fallout of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing efforts of Western countries to restrict the use of Russian assets.

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