Ukraine has today officially revealed the fate of the largest aircraft on Earth. The country's authorities have confirmed that the world's only Antonov An-225 Mriya has been destroyed following Russian attacks.

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As the aviation industry's heaviest and longest operational aircraft, the An-225 Mriya has attracted significant fanfare from across the globe. It was built by the Antonov Serial Production Plant while Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union and conducted its first flight on December 21, 1988. Only a single unit had ever been produced as a planned second one wasn’t delivered amid the downfall of the Soviet Union.

Meaning 'Dream' in Ukrainian, Mriya was developed to support the Soviet space program and carry Buran orbiters. After the dissolution of the union, the aircraft was placed into storage in 1994 but was restored by 2001, the same year that it broke a record on September 11 by carrying four main battle tanks, which was a record load of 253.82 tonnes of cargo.

A complete powerhouse

The aircraft continued its records, including carrying the heaviest single cargo item ever sent by air in August 2009. It flew a generator for a gas power plant in Armenia with its loading frame. The total weight was 189 tonnes. The following summer, it flew the longest piece of air cargo in the world. Two 42.1 m (138 ft) test wind turbine blades were picked up from Tianjin, China, and taken to Skrydstrup, Denmark.

The aircraft had been busy across the continents up until recently. It could be well spotted heading into 2022. It did suffer minor damage when landing last month, but the long-term future wasn’t a concern, with an operational life that was expected to last until at least 2033, helped by a recent refurbishment.

Sadly, the damage is far more considerable this time around. There were reports that the plane was hit following an air assault operation in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast. The An-225, holding registration UR-82060, had been sitting at Hostomel Airport since February 5.

An official word

Antonov couldn't initially confirm the report as its personnel was evacuated. However, an Antonov pilot, Dmytro Antonov expressed that the plane was still intact. Nonetheless, Ukraine's official Twitter has now stated that the unit has been destroyed by occupants.

"The biggest plane in the world "Mriya" (The Dream) was destroyed by Russian occupants on an airfield near Kyiv. We will rebuild the plane. We will fulfill our dream of a strong, free, and democratic Ukraine" Twitter.

The country has declared that it will rebuild the aircraft as it looks to a brighter future. With skin as thick as Mriya, the plane will undoubtedly find its way back in the air.

Overall, the invasion of Ukraine is completely rocking the country’s air operations. It’s also taking its toll on the wider aviation spectrum with flight suspensions and airspace bans causing chaos for airlines and passengers.