The Helsinki District Court has satisfied the petition of Naftogaz Ukrainy and five other companies of the group and seized certain assets owned by Russia in Finland, the company’s press service said on Monday. According to its data, it is about real estate and other assets, which are estimated at tens of millions of dollars.
“This decision is part of Naftogaz’s global strategy to recover compensation for the damage caused by the seizure of assets of group companies in Crimea in accordance with the decision of the Hague arbitration,” the report said.
The company specified that this is also the first publicly known successful seizure of assets outside of Ukraine in fulfillment of the arbitral award on cases on claims of Ukrainian companies to Russia because of the expropriation of property in Crimea in 2014.
The decision is an interim step towards the actual recovery of assets in favor of Naftogaz. At the same time, interest stipulated for non-payment of funds under the arbitration award continues to accrue until the compensation is paid in full.
“Since Russia refuses to voluntarily pay Naftogaz the funds stipulated by the Hague ruling, we continue to use all available mechanisms to recover them. Today we have stood one step closer to restoring justice. At the same time, we are taking active steps to enforce the arbitration award in other target jurisdictions where there are Russian assets,” the head of the group, Oleksiy Chernyshev, said.
In Finland, Naftogaz is being represented pro bono by attorneys Mikko Leppa and Tatu Jaarinen of HPP Attorneys, supported by Covington & Burling, acting as lead legal counsel to coordinate Naftogaz’s international enforcement efforts.
As reported, in October 2016, Naftogaz and its subsidiaries initiated arbitration proceedings against Russia for damages due to the seizure of their assets in Crimea, and in September 2017 an application was filed with the tribunal at the Court of Justice in The Hague.
The Arbitration Tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in April 2023 ordered the Russian Federation to pay Naftogaz Ukrainy $5 billion for damages caused by the seizure of assets of Naftogaz group companies in Crimea in 2014.
