The Canadian government will hand a russian An-124 transport aircraft over to Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today after a meeting in Kyiv with his counterpart, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This large four-engine jet has been entrapped since it landed in Canada last year due to the sanctions imposed on the russian federation, now will be forfeited and handed to Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda reports.
"Today, thanks to the legislation that we passed, we confiscate this aircraft, which was owned by russia, and begin the process of transferring this asset to Ukraine so that it will never be used by russia again in support of the war," Canadian PM said.
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This An-124 is believed to be owned by russian Volga-Dnepr Airlines company that was previously sanctioned by the Canadian government, as detailed in the statement by Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada. The idea is to "send a clear message to the russian regime that there will be nowhere left to hide for those who support and profit from the Kremlin’s war of aggression".
This is the first physical asset that will be forfeited by the Government of Canada. Once it is forfeited to the Crown, the government will manage redistribution of the asset to the Government of Ukraine "to compensate victims of human rights abuses, restore international peace and security, or rebuild Ukraine." It means the transport aircraft will likely be used for humanitarian purposes only.
Specifications of the Antonov 124 (An-124-100):
- Length: 69.1 m
- Wingspan: 73.3 m
- Maximum payload: 120 t
- Maximum flight distance: 14,000 km (empty), 4,500 km (fully loaded)
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