The Central Bank of Russia announced it will seek damages from European banks in a Russian arbitration court over the blocking and use of its assets held in European Union financial institutions, in response to what it described as EU authorities’ ongoing attempts to seize and use those assets without its consent, including through an indefinite freeze. It said the claims will be for the amount of the allegedly illegally withheld assets plus lost profit, and noted that it has previously filed a lawsuit against Euroclear with the Moscow City Arbitration Court.