TORONTO / OTTAWA – August 18, 2026 – Canada’s Federal Court has upheld sanctions against Russian cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr Airlines and its former chairman, rejecting the company’s attempt to have the measures lifted and keeping its Antonov An-124 grounded at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The court dismissed Volga-Dnepr’s challenge to the federal government’s decision to maintain the sanctions listing. The judge found that the airline had not demonstrated the ministerial decision was unreasonable or procedurally unfair.
The massive An-124 Ruslan, one of the world’s largest cargo aircraft, has been stuck at Pearson since February 2022. It landed just before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, after which Canada closed its airspace to Russian aircraft. Canada formally seized the plane in June 2023 under its sanctions regime.
Volga-Dnepr argued it had stopped carrying military cargo in 2018 and played no role in the invasion. Canadian authorities countered that the company benefited from Russian government contracts and subsidies and helped Moscow circumvent allied restrictions on goods with military or sensitive uses.
The aircraft has accumulated more than $1 million in unpaid parking fees while grounded. Ottawa has previously indicated it intends to move toward forfeiture of the plane, with proceeds potentially directed toward supporting Ukraine.
Canada’s sanctions framework allows for the seizure and eventual redistribution of assets linked to sanctioned individuals or entities — a model described as unique among G7 countries. The court decision leaves the An-124 firmly under Canadian control for now as legal and diplomatic efforts continue.
About the Author
