Antonov announces another An-225 Mriya is under construction
An-225 Mriya after the Russian strike on the airfield in Gostomel, Kyiv region (Photo:REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
Ukraine began building a second Antonov An-225 Mriya aircraft, after the first was destroyed in the Russian invasion in Hostomel, near Kyiv, Antonov General Director Eugene Gavrylov told German newspaper Bild on Nov. 7.
According to Gavrilov, the work is underway at an undisclosed location – for security reasons.
The second An-225 will contain both new parts and parts salvaged from the original aircraft. The plane is already 30% done, with the total cost estimated at around $500 million.
Leipzig/Halle Airport, where Antonov's aircrafts are temporarily based, will help raise funds for the project. An-255 would often visit the German airport when performing her duties prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On Feb. 27, during an attack on the Hostomel airport near Kyiv, invading Russian forces destroyed the An-225 Mriya – the world's largest heavy-lifting airplane, which was developed and created by Ukraine’s Antonov Design Bureau.
Ukrainian security services are investigating the circumstances of the destruction of the aircraft, in particular – why An-255 was not transferred elsewhere from Hostomel before Russia invaded.
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