Russia Destroys World’s Largest Plane In Ukraine
Ukraine’s Antonov-225 cargo plane, the world’s largest plane, was destroyed by Russian strikes near Kyiv on the fourth day of Moscow’s invasion, according to Ukraine’s state-owned Ukroboronprom group.
“Russian invaders destroyed the flagship of Ukrainian aviation, the AN-225”, the group stated in a statement, referring to the Antonov airport in Gostomel, near Kyiv.
The aircraft was one-of-a-kind in the world, measuring 84 meters (276 feet) in length and capable of transporting up to 250 tonnes (551,000 pounds) of cargo at a top speed of 850 kilometers per hour (528 mph).
It was given the name “Mriya,” which translates to “dream” in Ukrainian.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted Sunday, “This was the world’s largest airplane, the AN-225 ‘Mriya.'”
“Our ‘Mriya’ may have been destroyed by Russia.” They will, however, never be able to derail our vision of a robust, free, and democratic European state. “We’re going to win!” he added.
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, which was launched by President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, violent fighting have occurred at Gostomel airport.
According to the Russian army, it is attempting to seize critical infrastructure.
Ukroboronprom, a weapons manufacturer, predicted that rebuilding the “Mriya” would cost more than $3 billion (2.7 billion euros) and take more than five years.
“Our objective is to ensure that Russia, which purposefully damaged Ukraine’s aircraft, pays for these costs,” the group said.
The An-225 was produced as part of the Soviet aviation program and flew for the first time in 1988.
After years of not flying since the Soviet Union’s demise, the lone surviving copy made a test flight in Gostomel, some 20 kilometers from Kyiv, in 2001.
It was used for cargo flights by Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines and was in high demand at the commencement of the Covid-19 pandemic.
