The key facts

  • The Helsinki Court of Appeal has suspended new and unfinished seizures of Russian property
  • Seizures already imposed, worth about €44 million, remain in force
  • The decision is linked to Naftogaz's lawsuits and a September ruling by a court in The Hague on the arbitration's jurisdiction

Suspension of new seizures

The Helsinki Court of Appeal has ruled to suspend new seizures of Russian property in Finland until it issues a decision on the appeal or a special court order. This was reported by the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, which was cited by Gazeta.Ru and Life.ru. The suspension affects only unfinished or not yet initiated enforcement actions: bailiffs must refrain from new seizures, while the question of lifting the restrictions already in force remains open.

What has already been seized

According to Finnish media, seizures of property worth about €44 million that have already been carried out remain in force. Life.ru specifies that in 2024 Finnish bailiffs imposed restrictions on more than 40 Russian properties — buildings, land plots and real estate used by diplomatic missions. Finnish outlets do not specify exactly how many assets were seized before the suspension. The Russian Embassy in Helsinki previously stated that about half of the affected properties enjoy diplomatic immunity and are protected by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Context of the proceedings

The lawsuits were filed by the Ukrainian state gas company Naftogaz and its subsidiary structures: they are seeking multi-billion-dollar compensation for property lost after Crimea came under Russian control in 2014. Mass seizures of Russian property in Finland began in August 2024 and were not officially announced. According to Life.ru, the reason for the appeal court's current decision was new circumstances in the international proceedings: in September, a court in The Hague cast doubt on the jurisdiction of the arbitration with respect to part of the Russian assets. It is unknown when the Court of Appeal will consider the appeal on its merits.