Ukraine confirms destruction of the World’s biggest aircraft

After the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, The Ukrainian minister for foreign affairs confirmed the destruction of the Antanov AN-225 Mriya, otherwise known as the world’s biggest aircraft. Days of fighting in Ukraine have led to untouched airspace of the country and evacuation from airlines as the Russians move in towards the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Today the Ukrainian minister for foreign affairs tweeted:

The aircraft was being stored in Kyiv’s Hostomel airport when it was destroyed and enflamed by a Russian air attack. Whilst many people feared a swift invasion from Russia in a matter of days, Ukrainian Military and Armed citizens have been managing to hold off the total invasion. In a recent turn of events, Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Russia’s Nuclear deterrence force on High alert. This is a tactic used to threaten the opposition with Nuclear warheads to force them to surrender.

So it’s official 😔
Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs confirms the news that the world’s largest cargo aircraft, the Antonov #AN225, has been destroyed at Hostomel Airport outside Kyiv.😔✈️

Sad news to the #aviation world https://t.co/38Ure1UoTR

— Aviation For Aviators (@Aviaforaviators) February 27, 2022

Why did the Russia-Ukraine war begin?

In late 2013 and early 2014, a series of anti-government protests took place in central Kyiv. These were known as the “EuroMaidan” protests and citizens protested against Russian- Backed Dictator Victor Yanukovych. After many battles and several casualties, Yanukovych abandoned Ukraine and sought Assylum in Russia. This now meant that Ukraine no longer had a pro-Russian government, leaving Russia’s key naval port in Crimea extremely vulnerable. Vladimir Putin then sent Troops in to invade the Crimea region, guaranteeing safety for his Black-sea port. Russia recently sent troops to “Liberate” Ukraine from its “Neo-Nazi” president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Even though he is Jewish). This caused outrage from the Ukrainian people who have been defending their nation with weapons given to them from many countries.

The destruction of the Mriya

Sources confirmed today the destruction of the Mriya, meaning it no longer holds the title of the world’s largest aircraft. This was finally confirmed after rumors had been circulating on the internet about the plane’s destruction. Today, Wikipedia had to change all information on the aircraft to be in the past tense. The 6-engined aircraft could hold a whopping 250 tonnes in cargo and be regularly used to deliver vital PPE during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The aircraft was first built in 1985 and remained the only AN-225 built. The aircraft’s manufacturer has stated that they can not determine whether the aircraft has been destroyed or not until sufficient checks have been completed.

Sources:

• ladbible.com
• twitter.com
• theguardian.com
• cityam.com
• Netflix documentary Winter on Fire
• wikipedia.com
• Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall
• aviationsourcenews.com (Cover image)

Sam Jakobi

Sam Jakobi is a young aviation enthusiast based in London, UK. Sam writes articles and conducts interviews with members of the aviation community.