In Ukraine, The World's Largest Plane Was Destroyed

According to Ukrainian officials, the world's largest airplane, the Antonov AN-225, was destroyed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, causing fear and regret in the aviation industry, where it enjoys nearly cult status.

The massive airplane, known in Ukrainian as "Mriya," or "dream," was parked at an airfield near Kyiv when it was assaulted by "Russian occupants," according to Ukrainian police, who added that the jet would be rebuilt.

"Our 'Mriya' may have been destroyed by Russia. They will, however, never be able to derail our vision of a robust, free, and democratic European state. We're going to win!" Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, posted on Twitter.

There has been no independent confirmation that the plane was shot down. The Antonov Company claimed in a tweet that it couldn't confirm the plane's "technical condition" until it was evaluated by experts.

Ukroboronprom, the Ukrainian state military firm that manages Antonov, said on Sunday that the plane had been damaged but that it will be rebuilt at Russia's expense at a cost of $3 billion.

The repair is expected to take more than 3 billion dollars and five years, according to the statement. "Our mission is to ensure that the Russian Federation, which has intentionally harmed Ukraine's aviation and air cargo sectors, pays for these expenditures."

The business then stated that the plane had been undergoing maintenance on the ground near Kyiv on February 24.

"One of the engines was dismantled for maintenance, according to the director of Antonov Airlines, and the jet was unable to take off that day, despite the required directives being given," it stated.