Russian embassy protests to Finland over property seizure

The Russian Embassy in Finland has sent a note to the Finnish Foreign Ministry with a strong protest against the actions of the Finnish authorities regarding the arrest of Russian property in the country.

"The Embassy has sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland with an expression of strong protest against the actions of the Finnish authorities, grossly violating the provisions of international law," the embassy said, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Finnish authorities have recently seized several properties owned by the Russian state, including a prominent recreational site and multiple buildings, following a legal claim by the Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz. These actions, according to Helsingin Sanomat, follow a Finnish court decision aimed at implementing an April 2023 ruling by the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which ruled in favor of Naftogaz’s claims against Russia.

Among the properties confiscated is a 17-hectare seaside estate in Kirkkonummi, in southern Finland, which also includes 3.5 hectares of marine waters. This site, frequently used by Russian diplomats for leisure, was seized by a bailiff on October 24.

Another Russian-owned property in Siuntio, originally acquired by the Soviet Union's commercial representative office in 1973, spans approximately 8,000 square meters. The Finnish government has also taken control of the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Helsinki and four buildings in the Åland Islands, which include a residential building.

This broad seizure of Russian assets comes as part of a lawsuit filed by Naftogaz, which demands compensation exceeding five billion euros from Russia, citing losses of gas reserves, pipelines, and infrastructure in Crimea following its 2014 annexation by Russia.

In a separate but related move, Finland's Border Service has permanently closed and begun removing signage from the temporary Inari and Parikkala border crossings in the Lieksan region. These crossings, which were set up along the Finland-Russia border, have now been decommissioned.

The Russian embassy in Finland has strongly protested the seizures, condemning them as a breach of international law and formally requesting that the Finnish authorities reconsider their decision.

By Khagan Isayev