Did Russia destroy Ukraine's Antonov AN-225, the world's largest plane?


Ian Oxborrow
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The world's largest plane, the Antonov AN-225, is being inspected after coming under attack from Russian forces in Ukraine.

Ukraine's state-owned defence conglomerate Ukroboronprom said the unique aircraft, known as Mriya, was destroyed at the Antonov Airport in Gostomel, near Kiev.

"The occupiers destroyed the airplane, but they won’t be able to destroy our common dream," the group said in a statement. "Mriya will definitely be reborn. The restoration is estimated to take over $3 billion and over five years."

A satellite image shows a damaged hangar at the Antonov Airport in Gostomel, Ukraine on February 27, 2022. Photo: Maxar Technologies / via Reuters
A satellite image shows a damaged hangar at the Antonov Airport in Gostomel, Ukraine on February 27, 2022. Photo: Maxar Technologies / via Reuters

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed the attack on the Antonov, while satellite images showed damage to a hangar at the airport.

However, the Antonov Company has yet to write off the 84-metre-long aircraft.

It said on Twitter: "Currently, until the AN-225 has been inspected by experts, we cannot report on the technical condition of the aircraft. Stay tuned for further official announcement."

The airport has witnessed violent clashes since the start of Russia's invasion, launched by President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

Antonov AN-225's role in aviation

With its six engines, 32 wheels and wingspan that matches the length of a football pitch, the Antonov AN-225 has claimed 242 world records since it started flying in 1988, according to Antonov Airlines.

Its role in the aviation industry took on greater significance amid the coronavirus pandemic, as it delivered tonne after tonne of vital aid to countries worldwide.

The Mriya ("dream" in Ukrainian) entered commercial service in 2001 and was originally developed to transport the Energiya carrier-rocket and Buran space shuttle.

The aircraft could carry a maximum payload of 250,000 kilograms, and had a wingspan of 88m. Its size meant it could fit a helicopter or haulage lorry inside.

The next biggest commercial airliner is the Boeing 747-8F, which can handle up to 150 tonnes. Sandwiched between is the AN-124, which can handle up to 150 tonnes but has a single deck, in contrast to the 747-8F which has both the main deck and lower cargo hold.

The Airbus BelugaXL, shaped like a whale and complete with a smiley face, is actually bigger than the Antonov in one respect: at 63m long and 8m wide, it has the largest cargo bay cross-section of all existing cargo aircraft.

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Name: HyperSpace
 
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Based: Dubai, UAE
 
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Thursday December 27

Men's quarter-finals

Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm

Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm

Women's exhibition

Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm

Friday December 28

5th place play-off 3pm

Men's semi-finals

Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm

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Saturday December 29

3rd place play-off 5pm

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The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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7.45pm: CCI France UAE – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m 

8.20pm: Czech Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,400m 

8.55pm: Netherlands Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m 

9.30pm: Indian Business and Professional Council – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m  

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126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

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9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

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Bantamweight

Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)

Lightweight

Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)

Catch 74kg

Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)

Strawweight (Female)

Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)

Featherweight

Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)

Lightweight

Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)

Welterweight

Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)

Bantamweight

Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)

Lightweight

Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)

Lightweight

Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)

Welterweight

Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)

Featherweight title bout

Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)

The biog

Name: Abeer Al Shahi

Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan

Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.

Favourite activities: Bungee jumping

Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Bio

Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro

Updated: February 28, 2022, 8:11 AM`