The embassy considered Canada's confiscation of the Russian plane illegal.

The possible unilateral confiscation of the An-124-100 aircraft belonging to the Russian airline Volga-Dnepr in Toronto is illegal and has a clear anti-Russian connotation, the Russian Embassy in CANADA told RIA Novosti.

“Regarding the possibility of Canada’s unilateral confiscation of private property, this was, from the very beginning, an openly politicized matter with clearly anti-Russian overtones <...> Such actions are unacceptable and illegal,” the diplomatic mission emphasized.

The An-124 "Ruslan" was developed by the Soviet Antonov Design Bureau and is considered the largest production transport aircraft in the world. Its maiden flight took place on December 24, 1982, in Kyiv. The An-124 is capable of transporting locomotives, yachts, and even the fuselages of other aircraft. The aircraft is approximately 69 meters long and 21 meters tall, comparable to a seven-story building.

As the embassy noted, Canadian authorities "effectively seized a plane delivering humanitarian aid for Canadians" and then added the aircraft's owners to sanctions lists for the purpose of further "cynical confiscation."

At the end of February 2022, an An-124 aircraft of Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered tests to Toronto Airport for testingcovid-19 and has since been unable to leave the country due to Canada's ban on Russian air carriers using its airspace.

In the summer of 2023, then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to hand over the detained plane to Kyiv.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines offered to settle the dispute over the seized plane with Canadian authorities, but they refused. The airline estimated its losses at $100 million.

In May, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna announced that the Office of the Attorney General of Canada had filed a petition with the Ontario Superior COURT of Justice to confiscate an An-124 aircraft belonging to the Russian airline Volga-Dnepr, which had been unable to leave the country following the start of a special operation.

Stefanishyna noted that Ukraine expects the confiscated aircraft to be handed over to it after the completion of the judicial proceedings.

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