{"id":123545,"date":"2022-03-05T07:30:48","date_gmt":"2022-03-05T12:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valorguardians.com\/blog\/?p=123545"},"modified":"2022-03-04T20:57:50","modified_gmt":"2022-03-05T01:57:50","slug":"an-225-mriya-destroyed-by-russians-in-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/?p=123545","title":{"rendered":"An-225 Mriya destroyed by Russians in Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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AN-225 Mriya in better days<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aviation aficionados will be sad to hear of a casualty of the Russia-Ukraine War. On 24 February, when Russia invaded the country, the massive six-engine An-225 cargo jet of Antonov Airlines was parked on the apron at Antonov Airport, Hostomel, Ukraine. The huge aircraft was the only one of its type. It is both the heaviest aircraft ever made and has the longest wingspan of any aircraft at the time it was made. It attracted quite a following of watchers whenever it would fly into or out of an airport.<\/p>\n

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An-225 size comparison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Developed by the Anotonov Design Bureau during the Soviet days, Mriya was built to haul the Soviet Buran space shuttle, piggy-back style like NASA used the 747 to carry our shuttle orbiter. In the post-Cold War years, the Mriya was refurbished to flying condition and found work transporting outsized and very heavy cargo.<\/p>\n

Antonov Airport is just outside of Kyiv, so was an early target of the Russians during their invasion. They hit the airport with two Guards Air Assault Brigades and a motorized infantry regiment supported by between 20 and 200 aircraft (the latter is a Russian claim that is probably obscenely exaggerated). Though the An-225 was not a military target, being owned and operated by a civil carrier, it\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>a point of pride for the Ukrainian people. It was said to have been hit by a Russian missile while parked in its shelter.<\/p>\n

The Russians captured and continue to hold the airport, so the true condition of the Mriya was unknown. Satellite photos showed the plane’s shelter partially damaged and what looked like airplane parts strewn about. Earlier this week, updated photos appeared to show the tail of the giant bird intact<\/a>, leading lovers of the ginormous aircraft hopeful it wouldn’t be a total loss. Video and close up photos came out Friday that show the true extent of the damage to Mriya.<\/p>\n

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Video from Hostomel of the destroyed An-225 transport aircraft. https:\/\/t.co\/5JhZaKZ8LS<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/mnLqgKi9nM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rob Lee (@RALee85) March 4, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n