Russia says paintings seized in Finland to return this weekend

Finnish customs had intercepted three shipments in all of paintings, statues and antiquities on their way back to Russia from Italy and Japan.

Russian paintings seized in Finland this week will return to Russia at the weekend, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova said on Friday. Finnish customs said on Wednesday they had stopped works of art worth around 42 million euros ($46 million) from being shipped back to Russia and were checking with Brussels whether they were classed as luxury goods subject to economic sanctions.

"The European Commission made it clear that exhibits participating in European exhibitions are not on the sanctions list," Lyubimova said. Finnish customs had intercepted three shipments of all of the paintings, statues, and antiquities on their way back to Russia from Italy and Japan.