Russia to Face $60 Billion UK Trial Over Unpaid Yukos Award

  • Ex-Yukos owners try to enforce arbitration ruling in London
  • The award was procured by a fraud, Russia’s lawyers allege

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Photographer: Bartek Sadowski/Bloomberg
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Russia will have to answer at trial why it hasn’t paid out a record $60 billion arbitration award over the collapse of Yukos Oil Co., after a London judge denied the country immunity from a case brought by the former owners of the now defunct oil producer.

The Wednesday ruling is the latest staging post in a sprawling legal saga that’s dragged on for two decades. Former owners of the Yukos are seeking to enforce a 2014 Dutch arbitration tribunal ruling that ordered the Russian government to pay $50 billion. The amount has now swelled toBloomberg Terminal almost $60 billion including interest.