Canada seized the Russian An-124 plane and wants to hand it over to Ukraine — Bloomberg

The plane has remained at the Toronto airport since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Anita Anand, the transfer of the plane to Ukraine will have both practical and symbolic significance. She emphasized that this step should demonstrate the responsibility of those who support Russian aggression and that Ukraine will not be alone in its recovery.

The An-124 is one of the largest cargo planes in the world, and Canadian officials have previously warned that Russia could use it to drop military cargo. As Anand noted, the confiscation procedure is complicated by the fact that the aircraft's ownership structure is complicated, but the process is already underway legally. In addition, Canada is considering several options for transferring the board to Ukraine — both through a court decision and through separate legislative initiatives.

According to her, at the beginning of the invasion, Russia destroyed part of the Ukrainian Antonov aircraft, so the transfer of the An-124 will partially help restore the lost capabilities of Ukrainian aviation. In addition, as the newspaper writes, the Canadian government has decided to accelerate the allocation of the last 10 million Canadian dollars from the total aid package of 70 million for the restoration of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

During her speech, Anand criticized Russia's strikes on residential buildings, hospitals and other civilian objects. We will remind you that, according to expert analysts, the Swedish JAS 39E/F Gripen fighter, with the possibility of partial production in Ukraine, should become the basis of the Air Force fleet. At the same time, experts note that "heavier" fighters may be needed for full-fledged air operations, but their cost and complexity of operation significantly limit such prospects.