The world’s largest plane is destroyed in a Russian attack at an airport near to Kyiv

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said on Sunday afternoon that the world’s largest aircraft has been destroyed by a Russian attack.

The Ukrainian-made Antonov-225 Mriya was destroyed during an attack on Hostomel airport near the capital, Kyiv.

Kuleba confirmed the news in tweet on Sunday afternoon, he wrote, “Russia may have destroyed our ‘Mriya’. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state.”

The name of the aircraft means in Ukrainian for “dream” and it could cost more than $3bn to restore the plane.

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! pic.twitter.com/TdnBFlj3N8

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 27, 2022

On Saturday the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said they have shot down a Russian troop carrier near to the capital.

The Ministry said on Facebook that Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted a Russian IL-76 MD troop carrier at 10.30pm on Friday night and blew it up.

A IL-76 MD troop carrier can carry up to 167 paratroopers with a crew of up to seven and can carry 50 tonnes of equipment.

The Russian Defence Ministry said that a significant amount of enemy paratroopers were killed.

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have also shot down a Russian Su-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea, the Command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has reported.