Russia just failed to reclaim enormous seized jet stuck in Toronto for years

Just over four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a massive Russian cargo plane remains stranded at Toronto's Pearson Airport, and a recent legal ruling has decided that it won't be going anywhere anytime soon. 

The Antonov An-124, considered one of the largest cargo aircraft in the world, has been sitting on the tarmac at Pearson Airport since February 2022, after Canada closed its airspace to Russian-owned and operated aircraft in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine. 

The enormous aircraft, which belongs to Russia's largest air cargo carrier, Volga-Dnepr Airlines, has now been grounded at the airport for so long that it can even be spotted on satellite imagery on Google Maps.  

Valued at approximately $300 million, the cargo plane has been stored along the east edge of the tarmac, near Silver Dart Drive. While it's stranded here in Toronto, the aircraft is also reportedly racking up a massive parking bill, which was reported to cost just over $1,000 a day. 

The plane arrived in Toronto on Feb. 27, 2022, with a shipment of COVID-19 rapid tests from China. Before it arrived in Toronto, the aircraft reportedly stopped at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska. 

The Canadian government formally moved to seize the aircraft in June 2023 as part of its sanctions against Russia, and now the carrier is facing yet another legal setback in its efforts to regain control of the plane. 

Russia's Foreign Ministry described the seizure as a "cynical and shameless theft," and soon after, the airline served notice of its intention to begin a formal dispute with the federal government. 

Now, a Canadian judge has rejected the carrier's legal appeal against the sanctions, ruling that the airline's argument was insufficient, and that the airline "has not demonstrated the decision was unreasonable or lacked procedural fairness."

According to court documents, Global Affairs Canada noted that Volga-Dnepr Airlines "played a critical role in supporting the efforts of the Russian regime to bypass sanctions imposed by Canada and its allies to obtain goods that are sanctioned or can be used in sensitive or military-related sectors."

For now, the enormous cargo plane remains grounded at Pearson Airport, with its future still tied up in the ongoing legal battle between the airline and the Canadian government, which has voiced its intention to eventually transfer the aircraft to Ukraine.