New Images of World’s Largest Cargo Jet Show Details of Destruction

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has released new video showing an apparently destroyed Antonov An-225 Mriya at Gostomel Airport (UKKM) in Ukraine.

Thom Patterson

Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 01:23 PM ET

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Why the one-of-a-kind heavy-lift transport aircraft was not flown out of Ukraine before Russia invaded is unclear. [Courtesy Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The world's largest cargo airplane, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, was destroyed at Gostomel Airport in Ukraine during intense fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
Its destruction was confirmed by its manufacturer, Antonov Company, which has launched a global fundraising campaign to rebuild the unique aircraft, with an estimated cost of $3 billion.
Mriya was a symbol of Ukrainian industrial prowess; however, questions remain about why it was not flown to safety, with reports indicating it was under repair and a lack of timely decision-making from airline management despite prior warnings.

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Russia’s Ministry of Defense has released new imagery showing an apparently destroyed Antonov An-225 Mriya—once the world’s largest cargo airplane—at Gostomel Airport (UKKM) in Ukraine.

The airport—also known as Antonov Airport—was the scene of intense firefights last month between Ukrainian military and invading Russian special forces. The photos show Mriya’s gigantic nose cone riddled with what appear to be bullet or shrapnel holes sitting near the aircraft’s wing and turbofan engines.