The destruction of the world’s largest aircraft, Ukraine’s Antonov An-225 Mriya, at the start of the Russian invasion has criminal consequences for the former management of the Antonov group. The only airworthy example of this oversized transporter was burned on February 27 when Russian paratroopers attacked Hostomel airport near Kiev.
The Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the SBU secret service are investigating why the plane was not brought to safety in time despite warnings. Ukrainian media reported this in Kiev on Thursday. Legally, this is considered a violation of official duties or even cooperation with a foreign military force. Nothing has been released about the suspect.
Machine could have flown to Leipzig
An-225 chief pilot Dmytro Antonov said the crew planned to fly out of the plane in the dramatic morning hours of Feb. 24, when the attacks began. The machine could have flown to Leipzig, where it had a permanent place. The engines had started, but the start order had not come. The fighting around Hostomel lasted for several days, until Ukrainian troops fled the invading paratroopers.
The general manager of the state aircraft construction company Antonov, Serhiy Bychkov, was fired at the end of March because the plane was not rescued. The six-engine cargo plane was the pride of Ukraine and a much admired guest at many airports around the world. It had a wingspan of 88.4 meters. The maximum takeoff weight was 640 tons – about half that of a fully loaded jumbo jet (Boeing B747) with 447 tons. (SDA)