Restoring World's Biggest Aircraft 'An-225 Mriya' Destroyed By Russians to Cost $3B

Russian forces destroyed the sole An-225 ‘Mriya,’ the world's largest aircraft at the Antonov airfield in Gostomel near Kyiv on February 24, where the plane was under maintenance.

“Currently, it is impossible to assess the plane’s condition and the possibility and cost of its restoring due the lack of access to the aircraft as the control over the airport is taken by the Russian occupiers,” Ukrainian Aerospace and Arms manufacturing consortium, Ukroboronprom said in a statement.

An earlier statement said that it will cost over $3 billion and about 5 years to restore the plane. “Mriya will definitely be reborn. The restoration is estimated to take over $3 billion and over 5 years. Our task is to ensure that these costs are covered by the Russian Federation, which has caused intentional damage to Ukraine’s aviation and the air cargo sector,” the company said.

Russia has hit the Mriya as a symbol of Ukraine’s aviation capabilities. AN-225 "Mriya" — avia giant, which holds records for transportation of biggest commercial cargo and longest and heaviest in the history of aviation lifting capacity.

“Russia has destroyed our ‘Mriya’ or ‘dream,’ but the dream of Ukraine to get free from the occupier cannot be destroyed. And after the victory, we will definitely finish our new ‘Mriya’ aircraft,” Yuriy Husyev said, General Director of Ukroboronprom.

As of February 24 morning, the biggest cargo airplane was under repair and routine maintenance at the ANTONOV Company site in Gostomel. According to the director of Antonov Airlines, one of the engines was dismantled for repairs and the plane wasn’t able to take off that day, although the appropriate commands were given.