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- Russia has broadcast a video of the crashed AN-225, the world’s largest aircraft and a symbol of Ukrainian pride.
- The plane was destroyed in a fierce battle for Hostomel Airport, a key target near Kyiv.
- Russian state television has tried to blame Ukraine for its destruction, despite evidence to the contrary.
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A video broadcast on Russian state television shows the wreckage of the world’s largest cargo plane, the Antonov AN-225, which was destroyed near Kyiv during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Footage of the wrecked Ukrainian plane was shown on Russia’s state-run Channel 1 on Friday and shared on Western social media. It was unclear whether it was live or pre-recorded.
The plane, also called Mriya, which means “Dream”, is an object of Ukrainian pride.
Channel 1 correspondent Irina Kuksenkova reported from Hostomel Airport a fiercely contested runway about 25 miles from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
—OsintTv (@OsintTv) March 4, 2022
The airport was targeted on the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and was captured but quickly recaptured by Ukrainian forces, as detailed by The Wall Street Journal.
The plane was seriously damaged that day, The Journal reported. According to the Ukrainian state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom, he was at the airport for repairs.
It has not been clear since then who controlled the airport and when. According to the Channel 1 program, Russian troops were in control during the recording.
Image of the crashed Antonov AN-225 at Hostomel Airport, near Kyiv, Ukraine, broadcast by Russia-controlled Channel 1. Channel 1
Image of the crashed Antonov AN-225 at Hostomel Airport, near Kyiv, Ukraine, broadcast by Russia-controlled Channel 1. Channel 1
Ukroboronprom said on February 27 that the plane had been destroyed, blaming Russia.
“Russia has struck the Mriya as a symbol of Ukraine’s aviation capabilities,” the statement said, calling the AN-225 the “flagship of Ukrainian aviation.”
However, in a Russian broadcast on Friday, Kuksenkova said he had been destroyed by Ukrainian artillery strikes.
Neither Kuksenkova nor Ukroboronprom cite sources and have provided evidence of their competing claims.
The images on Channel 1 correspond to a video without a source, which is said to be from February 25 or 26, which has been distributed online in recent days.
– Igor Girkin (@GirkinGirkin) March 3, 2022
The plane was built and operated by the subsidiary of Ukroboronprom Antonov. The company has not yet responded to Channel 1 footage from its plane, but has responded to an earlier video by tweeting “NO NO NO”.
Antonov said there was no direct information on the condition of the plane and urged people to wait for reports on whether it could be restored.
—AntonovCompany @ (@AntonovCompany) March 3, 2022
In a statement, Ukroboronprom estimated the cost of the restoration at $ 3 billion and said Russia had to pay for it.