Russian vehicles parked under the huge hangar, occupying the entire area around the giant Antonov An-225 at Gostomel airport, as a huge fire consumes what would be the front of the largest commercial airliner of all time. This is the description of a new image shared, allegedly recorded on 27 February, three days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to Twitter users (below), this would have been the initial fire that ended the An-225’s operational life. The photo provides some insight into the context of the aircraft’s destruction.
February 27, Gostomel airport.
A photo of the starting fire, as a result of which the only super-heavy-lift aircraft Antonov An-225 #Mriya was destroyed. pic.twitter.com/kTdBBeRYE3
— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 21, 2022
As can be seen in the photo, allegedly taken by a Russian soldier, there are vehicles of the Russian Federation forces parked very close to the aircraft. It should be recalled that Russian war vehicles have been identified in Ukraine by the letters «Z» or «V», drawn on their bodywork. At the same time, there are also armoured vehicles very close to the wings of the plane, which were still intact at the time the photo was taken.
From the context, it is possible that the aircraft could have been intact at the time when Russia dominated this part of the airport and positioned its equipment. Although it is not possible to know who fired the shot that caused the Antonov An-225 to catch fire, the location of the Russian guns would have provoked a Ukrainian response at that location, so close to the aircraft, making it collateral damage in the battle.
The true story of what happened in those days will take years to be told. In the meantime, as these small pieces of the story unfold, the jigsaw puzzle can be pieced together.
New life?
In November, Antonov reported that development of a new Antonov An-225 is progressing.
According to Antonov CEO Eugene Gavrylov, the new AN-225 will be based on the second model, which was only partially built and is currently stored in a hangar at Zhulyany airport, west of Kiev. The project will also use salvaged parts from the first unit, the only one to have flown, which was destroyed in February at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Gavrylov claims the plane is 30% ready and mentions a supposed «secret facility», but gives no details as to why, since everyone knows where the «corpse» of the second AN-225 unit is.
«Work on the new aircraft continues at a secret facility. The second AN-225, which was never completed, will be finished with parts from the bombed aircraft, as well as new parts,» Gavrylov said. The project, he said, will cost at least 500 million euros.
Funds for the construction will be partly allocated by the Ukrainian government and another will be raised through donations and product sales. For example, Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany will help raise funds by selling miniatures of the Mriya.
