Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has claimed one of its most significant targets to date. The Antonov AN-225 Mriya, the world’s largest aircraft, was destroyed by Russian forces while undergoing repair at Gostomel Airport, about 20 miles outside near Kyiv, according to numerous reports.
The six-engine Mriya (Ukrainian for “dream” or “inspiration”) was about 276 feet long with a wingspan of roughly 290 feet. The airfield at Gostomel is considered a strategic target as it could quickly deliver troops and equipment to the capital city.
“Russia may have destroyed our ‘Mriya,’ But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Sunday. “We shall prevail!”
Antonov was hesitant to confirm the behemoth cargo plane had been destroyed, tweeting on Sunday that “until the AN-225 has been inspected by experts, we cannot report on the technical condition of the aircraft.”
In a media release, state-run defense company Ukroboronprom said the goliath plane “will definitely be reborn,” though it estimated it would take more than five years and over $3 billion to restore. “The occupiers destroyed the airplane, but they won’t be able to destroy our common dream,” Ukroboronprom said, adding it would ensure the cost would be footed by the Russian Federation, “which has caused intentional damage to Ukraine’s aviation and the air cargo sector.”
“Russia has destroyed our ‘Mriya’… but the dream of Ukraine to get free from the occupier cannot be destroyed,” the company continued. “We will fight for our land and our home until we win.”
The AN-255 was designed by Antonov in the 1980s, when Ukraine still belonged to the USSR, as part of the Soviet space program: It was the only plane large enough to transport the space shuttle Buran on its back. Flying its first mission, in December 1988, it later transported power plant generators, locomotives, and even enormous twin wind turbine blades, according to Jalopnik.
The Antonov AN-225 holds numerous aeronautical records, including for the heaviest plane, largest wingspan and for transporting the largest commercial cargo load (a 280-ton payload). It had become something of a tourist attraction, drawing aviation fans to Gostomel Airport, also known as Antonov International Airport, to see it take off and land.
The AN-225 was also occasionally drafted to provide humanitarian aid: After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, it delivered relief supplies to the neighboring Dominican Republic, CNN reported. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic it brought medical supplies to affected regions.
On February 24, when Russia began its attack, the Mriya had been given orders to take off, but one of its engines had been dismantled for repairs, Ukroboronprom reported. Satellites detected multiple fires at the airport Sunday morning shortly after 11 a.m., including at the hangar where the Mriya was housed.
The extent of the damage to the AN-225 Mriya is still unknown. Antonov has not responded to a request for comment but, in its tweet, promised a “further official announcement.”
