Russia summoned Brian Ebel, the deputy head of Canada's embassy in Moscow, to protest the seizure of an Antonov An-124 cargo plane, owned by Volga-Dnepr Airlines, in Toronto last Saturday. Russia called the seizure "cynical theft" and said it would have "serious repercussions" for Russian-Canadian relations. Canada said it was holding the plane accountable for Russia's war in Ukraine.
The plane was seized under Canada's new asset seizure law, which allows the government to seize assets that are owned by people or companies that are involved in human rights abuses or other crimes.
The seizure of the plane is the latest sign of the growing tensions between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine. The West has imposed a series of sanctions on Russia in an attempt to pressure the country to end the war. Russia has responded by imposing its own sanctions on the West.
Canada has the largest number of Ukrainian immigrants. The country has been one of Ukraine's most vociferous supporters, imposing sanctions and trade prohibitions on hundreds of Russian officials and firms.