Belgium unfreezes Russian accounts

Russian state accounts frozen by Belgium in a move condemned by Moscow have been unblocked, Belgium's foreign minister says. The assets were seized in a move triggered by a court ruling over the now-defunct Yukos oil firm.

In July 2014, an international arbitration court said Russian officials had manipulated the legal system to bankrupt Yukos.

Yukos was then taken over by a Russian state firm.

Last year a court told Russia to pay Yukos shareholders $50bn in compensation, after Yukos's break-up.

But Russia does not acknowledge the court's findings.