As terror strikes Ukraine and its very survival as an independent nation rests in the balance, a steady flow of tragic news and suffering comes from this nation. The immense human suffering is certainly the worst news, but to those of us who love aviation and its history, the recent demise of the world’s largest airplane, the Ukrainian-built Antonov 225 is surely one of those pieces of tragic news, too.   The AN-225 was most affectionately known as Mriya, which in Ukrainian means “dream.”

Thanks to Henry Tenby of JetFlix TV, who made the following video of Mriya several years ago at an airshow, we can appreciate just how huge this behemoth truly was.  The ship, unfortunately, could not be quickly enough flown to safety because its engines had been removed for routine maintenance.  We have included several other good videos of this giant transport jet, an aircraft that had been designed to carry the USSR’s large booster rockets.

Another excellent and comprehensive history of this giant of the skies is found at AeroTimeHub.  The actual destruction of Mriya took place at the Hostomel Airport on the outskirts of Kyiv.