Shareholders in the now defunct Russian oil giant Yukos have seized Netherlands-based assets of two well-known vodka brands controlled by the Russian state in their most recent legal move to obtain $57 billion in damages from Moscow, they said on Monday.
The seizure of the Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya vodka trademark rights via a Dutch court took place on May 7, a spokesman for shareholders said on Monday. The Russian state was informed of the move last week.
A Dutch appeals court on Feb. 18 overturned the annulment of a $50 billion award to Yukos shareholders, a surprise ruling 13 years after the assets came under control of the Kremlin.
The sum due has increased to $57 billion because of additional penalty fees, the spokesman said.