A Canadian Federal Court judge has rejected a legal challenge by Russian cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr Airlines, ensuring that a stranded Antonov An-124 will remain grounded at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The aircraft—one of the world's largest mass-produced freighters—arrived in Toronto on February 27, 2022, carrying COVID-19 test kits from China. However, it was stranded immediately after Canada closed its airspace to Russian-owned aircraft following the invasion of Ukraine.

Volga-Dnepr sought a judicial review to remove itself and its former chairman from Canada’s sanctions list, arguing that the company had stopped transporting military cargo in 2018. Canadian authorities rejected the claim, maintaining that the airline benefited from Russian state subsidies and contracts while helping Moscow circumvent international sanctions. The judge agreed with the government's position, ruling that the decision to keep the sanctions in place was neither unreasonable nor procedurally unfair.

The Canadian government formally seized the aircraft in June 2023 under the Special Economic Measures Act and initiated formal forfeiture proceedings in March 2025, intending to eventually transfer the jet to Ukraine to support reconstruction and compensation efforts. Meanwhile, Volga-Dnepr continues to fight the seizure through an international arbitration claim against Canada, seeking either the return of the aircraft or compensation valued at no less than $100 million USD. For now, the 225-foot freighter remains parked at Pearson while complex legal battles over its ownership play out in international forums.