Vladimir Putin openly discusses the seizure of assets of companies that have stopped working with Russia because of its aggression against Ukraine. This is reported by the American edition of The New York Times.
They argue that among the most profitable assets of Russia under threat are aircraft and add:
According to the consulting company IBA, as of Thursday, March 10, 523 aircraft were leased to Russian carriers. Of these, 101 were leased from S7 Airlines and 89 from Aeroflot. Both airlines have stopped international flights, eliminating any chance of returning the planes to their owners.
According to aviation consulting company Ishka, the cost of the aircraft is $12 billion.
Under European sanctions, Ireland-based lessors such as AerCap and SMBC have until March 28 to terminate contracts with Russian airlines and return their aircraft.
According to experts, such a prospect is not realistic and leasing companies may face huge losses.
Read Downed planes, helicopters and ground equipment – APU about enemy losses
Earlier, the US government imposed new sanctions against the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The foreign ministry added that they are seeking to ensure that the Russian government pays a harsh economic and diplomatic price for the invasion of Ukraine.
