The world’s largest and most powerful aircraft, the Antonov An-225, named Mriya, has been reduced to a smouldering wreck at Antonov Hostomel Airport, near Kyiv.
After a battle between Ukrainian and Russian troops, in which Russians gained control of the infrastructure, the transport aircraft was finally pronounced destroyed by the Antonov company after inspections had taken place.
The An-225 was developed and built in the late 1980s as an important part of the Soviet space programme. It transported the space shuttle Buran, plus gigantic rocket components.
It had six engines and 42 tyres, and a maximum take-off weight of 640 tons.
The original intention of the Soviet Space programme was to have two such aircraft, but the programme was overtaken by events and the Soviet Union’s dissolution began before the second aircraft was complete. It is believed that the half-built airframe of the second giant is resting in another hangar at the same location, Antonov Hostomel Airport, but its condition is not known.
