France is known to have secretly transferred more than 1,1 bln euro for the built but not delivered Mistrals
The top secret treatment of the transfer was connected with the YUKOS case risks. Earlier, the ECHR made Russia pay $50 billion to former shareholders and arrested the Russian companies’ bank accounts abroad. That’s why there was a danger of arresting this money.
To remind you, recently France and Russia agreed that France will keep the helicopter carriers and will give back the advance payment and communication facilities installed on the ships to Moscow. And only after that France will become a full rightful owner of the ships which they do not know what to do with.
It is very difficult to sell the Mistrals because they are designed according to Russian requirements and for the Russian equipment. As far as the money received from France is concerned, the Russians will build the newest ships in domestic docks. Thus, one of the wrong decisions of the former Minister of defense Anatoly Serdyukov will be corrected.
