Antonov An-225 Mriya: 1st video of world's largest plane destroyed in Russia's war with Ukraine surfaces

The fate of the world's largest aircraft Antonov An-225, has been revealed in footage from Ukraine showing it was destroyed during the Russia-Ukraine war.

Antonov An-225 destroyed

The Antonov An-225 Mriya, owned by Antonov Airlines, has been completely destroyed in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Now a new video footage has surfaced from Ukraine showcasing the destroyed Mriya for the first time. According to reports, Russian soldiers withdrew from Hostomel, a city north of Kyiv, on March 31, 2022.

Located in the city is the Antonov Airlines' headquarters, where the Antonov An-225, the world's biggest transport plane was parked during the Russia-Ukraine war. Although Ukraine's Armed Forces have yet to announce the capture of the city of Hostomel, numerous videos have surfaced online of Ukrainian soldiers entering the city.

A video of the wreckage of the Antonov An-225 was also released on the evening of April 3. Antonov earlier released a statement asking for crowdfunding to build the world's largest plane once again. 

First Visuals! Close up of AN-225 after Russian forces vacated the Hostomel Airport!

Courtesy: On video.#aviation #avgeek #aircraft pic.twitter.com/Qqb7BxgGue — FL360aero (@fl360aero) April 2, 2022

In this video, it seems as if the airport is abandoned by the Russian Military. In addition to the damage to hangars and other buildings, the wreckage of the Antonov An-225 can also be seen. There are several parts of the aircraft visible in the footage, including engine blades, landing gear, and a bullet-riddled tail part.

The airplane is split into two parts in the footage due to damage. The iconic front loading-bay doors of the aircraft have been separated from the fuselage, and the aircraft's wings have also been seriously damaged. There is also a wrecked APC (Armored Personal Carrier) visible in the footage.

This is the first time Antonov Airlines' facilities and most of its planes have been seen by the public in the aftermath of the disaster. With so much going on in Ukraine, it's difficult to understand where the resources will come from to produce a new An-225.

It will take a lot of work to get the Antonov airline up and running again with the planes that are now out of the country.

In the same way as the Concorde and the Boeing B747 Jumbo, the Antonov An-225 Mriya attracted attention wherever it travelled. Many devoted airplane enthusiasts will be saddened by its loss, which will leave a gap in the world's heavy-lift capability.