The United States of America has received a warrant for the arrest of a Boeing 737-7EM aircraft belonging to the Russian multinational oil and gas corporation “Lukoil”.
This is reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.
This plane made flights to and from Russia and violated U.S. Department of Commerce sanctions against the Russian Federation. The warrant was issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
This Boeing last flew in the USA in March 2019. He brought “Lukoil” officials from abroad, in particular the Russian oligarch, the then president and CEO Vagit Alekperov. The U.S. Department of Justice believes that Boeing is currently in Russia. The plane costs approximately $45 million.
- In September 2014, the United States imposed sanctions against the Russian company “Lukoil”.
- After the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine on February 24, the European Union closed the skies for Russian aircraft, prohibited the supply of spare parts for them, maintenance, support and insurance, and also obliged leasing companies to return aircraft that were leased from Russian carriers. The USA also imposed sanctions on the aviation sector of the Russian Federation.
- In July, it became known that Russian airlines refuse to return 435 aircraft and aircraft spare parts that they leased from foreign companies. These planes are worth billions of dollars, so leasing companies have already filed $10 billion worth of insurance claims.
- Reuters, citing sources, wrote that Russian airlines, in particular the state-owned company “Aeroflot”, disassemble planes to get spare parts that they can no longer buy abroad due to Western sanctions.