In a new set of sanctions, the Canadian government plans to send a seized Russian Antonov An-124 aircraft, called the Ruslan, to Ukraine.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has announced that Canada has agreed to hand over an Antonov An-124 seized from the Russian cargo company Volga-Dnepr.
Shmyhal stated that the agreement to transfer the seized Antonov An-124 from Canada to Ukraine was made after a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Christie Freeland.
Operated by Volga-Dnepr Airlines, the An-124 (reg. RA-82078) arrived into Canada on February 27 2022 to deliver COVID-19 test kits from China.
The Canadian government recently imposed new sanctions that included the confiscation of the Antonov An-124 from Volga-Dnepr Group, along with sanctions targeting two of its subsidiaries, Volga-Dnepr Airlines and AirBridge Cargo Airlines.
Four of the ten Antonov An-124s operated by Volga-Dnepr Group’s subsidiary, Volga-Dnepr Airlines, are grounded at foreign airports.
Apart from the one currently stuck at Toronto Pearson International Airport, three more Ruslans are stranded at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany.
