
Russia's Central Bank has filed a lawsuit in Moscow seeking damages from Brussels-based depository Euroclear for freezing its sovereign assets and has vowed to challenge European plans to freeze the reserves.
The Central Bank said on Friday that Euroclear, which holds 185 billion euros of the 210 billion euros of Russian assets frozen by Europe, had "made it impossible to access funds and securities belonging to the Bank of Russia" through "illegal actions."
The lawsuit is Russia's first strike against Europe, as Brussels moves to indefinitely freeze assets to finance a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine next week.
Belgium, where most of the assets are held, has opposed the idea, fearing Russian retaliation. The European Commission believes that no court outside the EU would have jurisdiction over the matter.
But Russia's Central Bank said it would "unconditionally oppose" attempts to freeze its assets through international courts in both "friendly and hostile countries."