Antonov An-225 Mriya, the largest aircraft in the world, destroyed in the war in Ukraine. UPDATE

UPDATE 4.03.2022: New images of the Antonov AN-225 Mriya plane on the spot show what is left of it. The front of the aircraft is completely separated from the fuselage. When in operation, this part could be raised to an angle of 90 degrees upwards, providing access to the cargo area of ​​the aircraft.

Antonov An-225 Mriya the Largest Cargo Plane in History and a Ukrainian Icon, Confirmed destroyed by Russian Ballistic Missile Strike on Hostomel ‘Airport by Russian State Media.
Today is a Sad Day for Aviation. pic.twitter.com/HJaQDojqpL

– OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 4, 2022

UPDATE 1.03.2022: New satellite images of Hostomel Airport suggest that Antonov An-225 Mriya may be intact. The double tail of the plane coming out of its hangar can be seen. However, it is not clear what condition the plane is in and whether or not the damage is critical. (source)

Original article: The war in Ukraine has already claimed thousands of lives, but Russia is also attacking key infrastructure points, including airports, to weaken Ukraine’s resistance. One of the material “victims” of the war seems to be the largest aircraft ever built, the Antonov AN-225 Mriya, used to transport goods around the world, unique in the world.

The largest plane in the world, destroyed by Russian attacks on Hostomel airport

Although the state of the aircraft is not known from official sources, several reports state that the huge plane was destroyed by a fire that took place as a result of the Russian attacks on Hostomel airport. He was in a hangar when fighting broke out, and unconfirmed images of the burning hangar circulated on the Internet. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, confirmed that the plane had been destroyed. Ukroboronprom, the company that owns Antonov, also announced plans to rebuild the plane.

Antonov An-225 Mryia was built in 1985 and flew for the first time in 1988. The plane was built specifically to carry the Buran orbital shuttles for the Soviet space program. It was the only aircraft equipped with six jet engines, three on each wing, 32 wheels on the landing gear and was the only one capable of carrying up to 250,000 kilograms on board. There was a 70-meter space inside the plane where the cargo could be stored.

A second Antonov An-225 was in production almost 15 years ago and was 60-70% built. However, production was abandoned in 2009. Much of this project may be used to rebuild the An-225 Mryia aircraft destroyed last week by Russian forces.

source: sfgate