Mriya falls victim to Russian invaders

The world lost an iconic aviation flagship on 27 February, the Antonov An-225 Mriya (Dream in Ukrainian) UR-82060, msn 19530503763.

It was a victim of the Russian invasion and attack at the Antonov Airline's main base of Kyiv-Gostomel Airport.

Mriya was originally built to transport the Soviet space shuttle, Buran. According to Wikipedia, as an oversized aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya held multiple records which included; heaviest aircraft ever built, and largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service.

Whereever the aircraft paid a visit, it could always count on a large gathering of enthousiasts, to admire its presence. It was massive, with three engines on each side, a massive wingspan and the trademark twin tail (essential to enable the plane to carry large, heavy external loads that would disturb the airflow around a conventional tail).

Some people will question why the Antonov was not flown out of the country when the invasion started, but at that time it was undergoing maintenance and was unable to fly. The Ukrainian government has announced that the aircraft will be rebuilt, but that will be a lenghty and costly repair.

 Photos: Wikipedia, Ukraine Government (Twitter) and Airline Ratings