Insight Bureau: The world’s largest operation aircraft ‘Antonov AN-225 Mriya’ has been destroyed by Russian Strike while it was parked at an airfield near Kyiv, Ukraine on 27 February.
➡️ Mriya in Ukrainian means dream and was globally recognized due to its size.
➡️ The Antonov An-225 Mriya holds record for being world’s largest and heaviest airplane built.
➡️ Mriya had the largest wingspan of 88 metres and can carry payload weight up to 640 tonnes.
➡️ The airlifter holds world record for an airlifted single-item payload of 189,980 kg and an airlifted total payload of 253,820 kg. It transported a payload of 247,000 kg on a commercial flight.
➡️ On 11 September 2001, Mriya carried four main battle tanks at a record load of 253.82 tonnes of cargo and flew over 1,000 km at a speed of 763.2 km/h.
➡️ On 11 August 2009, the heaviest single cargo item ( 16.23 m long and 4.27 m wide) was sent by air cargo was loaded onto the Mriya.
➡️ On 11 June 2010, the An-225 carried the world’s longest piece of air cargo, two 138 feet test wind turbine blades from Tianjin, China, Denmark.
➡️ Mriya used to carry large consignments of medical supplies as well as industrial material during the Covid-19 pandemic.
➡️ Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted, “Russia may have destroyed our ‘Mriya’. But will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state.”
➡️ Ukroboronprom, a state-owned defence company of Ukraine which manages Antonov (manufacturing company of Antonov AN-225 Mriya), said it would cost about $3 billion to rebuild the airplane.
➡️ Ukroboronprom further added that Mriya was on ground at the Gostomel airfield near Kyiv for some maintenance work on February 24.
➡️ According to satellite images, Antonov AN-225 Mriya was parked in a hanger in Antonov Airport and was destroyed on 27 February.
➡️ Satellite images of Mriya being destroyed in the Russian attack is viral in social media.
Netizens pay tribute to the world’s largest operation aircraft.