Antonov An-225: Glimpse into the Remnants of the World’s Largest Aircraft in Gostomel

The commander of the Armed Forces of the Netherlands, General Onno Eichelsheim, recently shared the newest photo of the Antonov An-225 Mriya, or what’s left of it, at the Ukrainian manufacturer’s facility in Gostomel, located 25 kilometers from the capital Kyiv.

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From the photo, it is noticeable that the plane has been almost completely dismantled, especially its wings and engines have been removed, as well as most of the tail and the horizontal and vertical stabilizer.

Recalling that, tragically, in February 2022, the Mriya was attacked during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, rendering it unusable.

Commander of the Armed Forces (CDS) General Official / Chief of Defence (CHOD) of Netherlands , Onno Eichelsheim has shared the latest picture of remains of the Antonov An-225 "Mriya" from Kyiv Hostomel Airport , (GML/UKKM).#aircraft #mriya pic.twitter.com/GlCPghAHQ3

— FL360aero (@fl360aero) January 26, 2024

After its destruction was confirmed, many reports emerged in a hopeful tone that it could be rebuilt, but there is no official project underway at the moment, especially because Ukraine is still at war with Russia, but also because of the cost that would be involved in a reconstruction project.

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The An-225 measured 83 meters (longer than the first flight of the Wright Brothers), 17 meters in height, and had a wingspan of 88 meters. It was powered by six Progress D-18T high-bypass turbofan engines that delivered 23 tons of thrust each, could carry up to 253 tons, and had a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tons.

With a range of 15,000 kilometers and a service ceiling of 10,000 meters, it cruised at 804 kilometers per hour and reached a maximum speed of 852 km/h. The project dates back to the Soviet era, when the aircraft was created to carry a space shuttle on its «back».