Wednesday, January 25, 2017

The General Court upholds the freezing of funds of the Russian company AlmazAntey

General Court of the European Union 
PRESS RELEASE No 6/17 
Luxembourg, 25 January 2017 

In response to the crisis in Ukraine, the Council adopted, in early 2014, restrictive measures (freezing of funds and refusing entry into EU territory) against natural or legal persons whose activities are undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. 

In that context, the Council decided to freeze the funds of the Russian company Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defence (‘Almaz-Antey’) on the following grounds: ‘Almaz-Antey is a Russian stateowned company. It manufactures anti-aircraft weaponry including surface-to-air missiles which it supplies to the Russian army. 


The Russian authorities have been providing heavy weaponry to separatists in Eastern Ukraine, contributing to the destabilization of Ukraine. These weapons are used by the separatists, including for shooting down airplanes. 

As a state-owned company, AlmazAntey therefore contributes to the destabilization of Ukraine.’ Almaz-Antey applied to the General Court to annul the continuation of the freezing of its funds for 2015 and 2016.1 

In today’s judgment (the first concerning the freezing of funds of a Russian company in connection with the crisis in Ukraine), the Court dismisses the action brought by Almaz-Antey and thus upholds the freezing of that company’s funds.

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