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Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@GirkinGirkin/Alamy
Topics: Ukraine, Russia, World News
Daisy Phillipson
Topics: Ukraine, Russia, World News
A video has emerged that appears to confirm the world's largest plane has been destroyed in Ukraine.
The news arrives after reports on Sunday (28 February) claimed that a battle at Hostomel airport, about an hour outside Kyiv, led to the Antonov AN-225 'Mriya' - the 'largest transport plane in the world' - was destroyed by Russian forces.
However, on Tuesday (1 March) satellite images appeared to show that the one-of-a-kind plane could, in fact, still be intact.
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The exact condition of the aircraft is yet to be verified, but a new video suggests that it was destroyed in the conflict.
A clip shared on the Antonov Company’s Twitter account shows the plane on fire, with the firm writing: “NO NO NO NO…
“Currently, until the #AN225 has been inspected by experts, we cannot report on the technical condition of the aircraft.
“Please wait for the official announcements about the condition of the aircraft.”
LADbible has contacted the Antonov Company for a comment.
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Numerous people took to the comments section to share their support, with one writing: “If you can't salvage that I'd say make one even bigger. That's one thing this entire world will stand for.”
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Another wrote: “Here to everyone’s safety. And here’s to rebuilding that beautiful plane."
A third added: “A human achievement and technological feat, destroyed in this manner is sad indeed.”
The clip follows the suggestion from the Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Science at Washington University that the plane could still be intact.
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On Tuesday (1 March), Professor Paul Byrne tweeted: “Don't count the #An225 out just yet."
Alongside satellite images, he wrote: "I've superposed this drawing onto what seems to be the jet's exposed tailplane, seen in this image posted earlier by @CSBiggers.
"Although there's substantial damage to the hangar, most of the airframe is under the undamaged section."
He added: "Of course, we won't know until photos from ground level turn up - and even if the airframe escaped the worst of the damage it's still entirely possible it's no longer airworthy.
"But it's also possible most of the aircraft, at least structurally, is undamaged.
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"At least, I hope so."
Last week, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Minister for Foreign Affairs, shared a photograph of the plane and stated that the country would not give up.
He said: "This was the world’s largest aircraft, AN-225 ‘Mriya’ (‘Dream’ in Ukrainian). Russia may have destroyed our ‘Mriya’.
"But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. We shall prevail!"
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The news was also reported by the official Twitter account of Ukraine, with a statement reading: "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."