Kathrine Frich
Taking control of the plane is only the first step.
When international conflicts drag on, the financial fallout often lands in unexpected places.
Sometimes it takes the shape of frozen bank accounts, but other times it is something much harder to hide.
A massive piece of machinery has been sitting on a runway for years, and a new legal ruling ensures it will not be flying home anytime soon.
Grounded in Toronto
A Canadian federal judge has refused to lift sanctions against a major Russian cargo carrier.
The decision keeps the Volga-Dnepr Airlines Antonov An-124 jet firmly stuck at Toronto Pearson Airport.
It landed just before airspace closed in 2022 and has not moved a single inch since.
According to a report from The Canadian Press cited by United24Media the court threw out a desperate appeal from the airline and its former chairman.
A unique legal fight
The airline argued that it stopped transporting military equipment back in 2018.
Global Affairs Canada disagreed, telling the court that the company actually helped Moscow dodge international restrictions.
The presiding judge ultimately ruled that the refusal to lift the sanctions was not “unreasonable or procedurally unfair.”
This battle tests a unique Canadian law that allows the government to seize and redistribute sanctioned assets.
Mounting airport bills
Canada is currently the only G7 nation with a system that can permanently confiscate seized assets.
Officials can then use the proceeds to help victims of international conflicts.
The government officially seized the massive aircraft back in June 2023, and it has since racked up more than a million dollars in unpaid parking fees.
In February 2025, officials expanded the seizure order to include Sberbank and former airline chairman Aleksey Isaykin, according to a report from United24 Media.
Funding the future
Taking control of the plane is only the first step.
Transferring official ownership to the government requires a completely separate application to a provincial court.
The fight over this single plane mirrors a much larger global financial strategy.
Right now, the wider G7 group is working on similar plans to use frozen Russian state funds to support air defense and rebuilding efforts in Ukraine.
Sources: The Canadian Press, Global Affairs Canada, United24 Media
