MOSCOW - A Russian court has ruled in favour of Rusal in the aluminium giant's 104.75-billion-rouble ($1.32-billion) lawsuit against global mining and metals company Rio Tinto, according to court documents.

The ruling intensifies a legal battle over a joint alumina refinery in Queensland, Australia, that Rio took sole control of after Australia imposed sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine.

The lawsuit was heard in closed session, and its details have not been disclosed. Rusal declined to comment.

Rio Tinto said in a statement provided to Reuters that the Russian claim brought by Rusal sought to re-litigate matters already decided by a competent court in Australia, linked to Rusal's stake in Queensland Alumina Ltd (QAL) and Australian sanctions.

"In Russia, as did in Australia, Rusal claims it is entitled to damages for what the Australian Court (and Court of Appeal) held was a lawful application of Australian sanctions," Rio Tinto said.

"We reject the Russian-based legal proceedings as an abuse of process," the company said in the statement. "We will continue to defend our position in respect of Rusal's claim and take any steps necessary to protect our rights and assets," it said.

RUSAL SEEKS SUPPLIES FROM ELSEWHERE

Rusal filed the lawsuit after it lost a case in Australia in 2024 to restore its rights to a 20% stake in the alumina plant QAL.

Australia responded to the 2022 launch of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine with sweeping sanctions, including a ban on exports of the aluminium raw material to Russia.

Shortly after the ban was imposed in March 2022, Rio took sole control of QAL, sidelining Rusal and cutting its access to the refinery's output. Rio owns 80% of the refinery.

Rio has no assets in Russia, but among the defendants in Rusal's lawsuit were Rio subsidiaries that own 66% of the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold deposit in Mongolia, a country Moscow calls "friendly" and which has not imposed sanctions on Russia.

Australia's alumina export ban and the suspension of operations at a refinery in Ukraine prompted Rusal to seek additional supplies from China and other countries to feed its Siberian aluminium smelters in 2022.

In 2025, Rusal said it would gradually acquire up to a 50% stake in an alumina plant in India. It also announced plans to build a new 4.8-million-ton alumina plant in Russia's Leningrad region in 2028.

In 2023, Rusal acquired a 30% stake in a Chinese alumina refinery to support feedstock from its assets in Russia, Ireland, Jamaica and Guinea.