Volga-Dnepr has labelled alleged attempts by the Canadian government to seize a stranded AN-124-150 at Toronto Pearson Airport a "pirate hijacking".
The aircraft has been at Toronto Pearson Airport since February 2022, and ever since then, the Canadian government has been attempting to seize the aircraft as part of sanctions related to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukraine is hoping that it will eventually receive the aircraft from Canada.
Volga-Dnepr said in a press release on 13 May, its first since February 2022, that it has"unexpectedly encountered a pirate hijacking of its aircraft seized in Canada".
The company added: "As per received information, the privately-owned aircraft has been illegally inspected and is intended to be transferred to third parties."
Igor Aksenov, general director of Volga-Dnepr Airlines, stated: "Lately we have been receiving alarming reports and photos demonstrating illegal attempts to get aboard our aircraft by unauthorised personnel. Any technical works or maintenance operations performed by unqualified aviation specialists can lead to serious damage to the aircraft.
"This situation leaves our company, as well as [the] international community and other companies still working in Canada, utterly baffled. In short, sanctions and specially amended SEMA (Special Economic Measures Act) are being used as a tool to carry out the country’s government’s plan of illegal takeover."
Ukrainian justice minister Olha Stefanishyna recently said she believes Canadian efforts to confiscate a Volga-Dnepr Antonov AN-124-150 will result in the heavy transport aircraft being transferred to Ukraine.
The aircraft has been at Toronto Pearson since 27 February 2022, following what Volga-Dnepr said was a humanitarian flight from China to Canada carrying Covid-19 test kits.
The AN-124 landed there just hours before the government of Canada announced restrictions on Russian aircraft in response to the most recent Russia-Ukraine conflict that began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February that year and saw much of western airspace closed to Russia as part of war sanctions.
In June 2023, the Canadian government ordered the seizure of the AN-124 as part of sanctions issued in response to the war. The government stated the aircraft could be handed over to Ukraine once seized.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry responded by claiming the aircraft had been illegally detained and its seizure was shameless theft.
In August that year, Volga-Dnepr reportedly threatened legal action against the Canadian government over the seizure of the An-124.
A year later, Volga-Dnepr said that due to unsuccessful attempts to negotiate the release of the aircraft, it initiated arbitration proceedings "in connection with the expropriation of its business in Canada and other illegal actions by the authorities".
Aksenov claimed in Volga-Dnepr's 13 May release that the Canadian government had plans to commercially operate the aircraft from the time of its initial seizure, using sanctions as an excuse to retain the aircraft.
