Russia appoints Chandrachud in Oschadbank arbitration

Russia has appointed former Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud as its arbitrator in an investment treaty dispute filed by Ukrainian state-owned bank Oschadbank. The dispute, brought under the 1998 bilateral investment treaty between Russia and Ukraine, concerns Oschadbank's assets and operations in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, which the bank claims it lost following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The claim is reportedly valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. The three-member tribunal will be presided over by Costa Rican arbitrator Dyalá Jiménez, jointly selected by both parties, with Stavros Brekoulakis appointed by Oschadbank. Oschadbank initiated the arbitration after serving Russia with a notice of dispute in July 2025, which allegedly received no response. This appointment is notable as Chandrachud had previously declined Russia's approaches to serve as arbitrator in disputes involving Wintershall Dea and Ministry of Energy (Ukraine) — Ukrenergo, and had stepped down as appointing authority in the Wintershall proceedings after disclosing those communications.