April 03, 2022, 06:35 PM
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Hostomel airport, located just outside of Ukraine's capital city Kyiv, came under attack in the early days of Russia's invasion.
In the course of the attack, the world's largest plane, the Antonov-225, was destroyed.
Photos of the 84-metre long plane's wreckage have since surfaced online, after Russian forces reportedly withdrew from the area, allowing people to document what was left behind.
Photo via spacex_starship on Instagram
Pilot inspects wreckage
AN-225 pilot Dmytro Antonov posted a video of him walking through the airport to inspect the damage.
The plane's nose — with its blue and yellow livery — could still be recognised.
However, much of the massive aircraft's fuselage was completely destroyed.
As Antonov circled the massive plane, he noted that certain components, such as pieces of landing gear and some of its engines, would likely be salvageable.
The rear part of the plane, including its tail unit, also appeared largely intact.
Antonov also located a piece of titanium that had been engraved with information about the aircraft.
BBC News reported that along with the wreck of the AN-225, broken tanks, and pieces of unexploded ordnance could be found around the airport.
Antonov-225
The world's biggest aircraft, at 84m long, could transport up to 250 tonnes of cargo at a speed of up to 850kmh.
It had been named "Mriya", which means "dream" in Ukrainian.
The AN-225 made its first flight in 1988.
It was initially built as part of the Soviet aeronautical programme and used to transfer Soviet spacecraft.
It was also used to transport large amounts of humanitarian aid around the world, especially at short notice.
It has been operated by Ukraine's Antonov Airlines for cargo flights and was in high demand during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Russian forces reportedly withdrawing from area around Kyiv
An update by the UK Ministry of Defence on Apr. 2 said that Russian forces in the vicinity of Kyiv were withdrawing from positions including Hostomel airport.
(2/3) Russian forces are reported to have withdrawn from Hostomel airport, which has been subject to fighting since the first day of the conflict. Along the eastern axis, Ukraine has re-taken several villages.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) April 2, 2022
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