Seizure of Antonov An-124 RA-82078

Summary#

This is an order under the Special Economic Measures Act to seize an Antonov cargo plane, registration RA-82078, that is parked at Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto. The federal Minister of Public Works and Government Services takes possession and control of the aircraft; the order was registered on February 14, 2025 and replaces an earlier seizure order (SOR/2023-120).

What it does#

• Covers the An-124-100-150 aircraft manufactured by Aviastar-SP, registration RA-82078, serial 9773054559153, located at Lester B. Pearson International Airport (CYYZ).
• Seizes the aircraft so no one may deal with it except the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, who is authorized to take possession, control and to manage or otherwise deal with the plane.
• Updates the list of people and companies believed to own, hold or control the aircraft. It names:
  • Aleksey Ivanovich Isaykin
  • Volga-Dnepr Airlines (Ireland) Limited
  • Volga-Dnepr Logistics B.V.
  • Sberbank
  • Volga-Dnepr Airlines
  • Volga-Dnepr Group
    These names appear under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations.
• Repeals the previous related order (SOR/2023-120) and brings this updated seizure order into force on February 14, 2025.

Who's affected#

• The named individual and companies above are the primary targets of the order.
• The Minister of Public Works and Government Services will manage the aircraft while it is seized.
• According to the government, Canadians and Canadian businesses are not expected to be negatively affected by this specific action.
• If the government later asks a court to permanently forfeit the aircraft, the outcome could affect where any sale proceeds go.

Why it matters#

• The order prevents the listed owners from using, moving, selling or otherwise benefiting from the aircraft while it is seized.
• It is part of Canada’s wider sanctions and asset-seizure tools aimed at people and entities tied to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
• Seized assets can later be subject to court-forfeiture proceedings; under the law, any proceeds from forfeiture may be used for reconstruction, restoring international peace and security, or compensating victims.
• The government says naming these people and companies publicly was not suitable before the order took effect, because that could have allowed the ownership to change.