Russia’s ambassador to Canada, Oleg Stepanov, said Moscow believes the Volga-Dnepr An-124 detained in Toronto since 2022 should be returned. He warned of possible retaliatory property measures if Canada confiscates the aircraft.
Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov said the Volga-Dnepr An-124 held at Toronto airport should be returned to its owner. In an interview with Izvestia, as reported by RIA Novosti, he said Moscow reserved the right to take retaliatory property and other measures if Canada confiscated the aircraft.
The plane arrived in Toronto in February 2022 carrying COVID-19 test kits ordered by the Canadian government from China. It was unable to leave after Canada closed its airspace to Russian carriers. In June 2023, the Canadian government issued an order to seize it and said it intended to pursue confiscation so the aircraft could be transferred to Ukraine.
The dispute continued in court. Reuters reported that in September 2026 a Canadian federal court rejected Volga-Dnepr’s application for sanctions relief. That ruling should not be confused with a completed transfer of the plane: the aircraft remains in Canada, while the Russian ambassador’s statement reflects Moscow’s demand that it be returned.
Canada imposed sanctions on Volga-Dnepr in 2022. In 2023, Ottawa said that if the aircraft were confiscated, it would work with Ukraine on possible ways to use it to compensate for damage.