One in all Antonov Airways’ prized An-124s, which was present process an overhaul on the time of Russia’s full scale invasion, escaped Ukraine’s contested airspace and arrived at Antonov’s non permanent base at Leipzig Airport, Germany.
Work on UR-82073, an Antonov An-124-100 manufactured in 1994, was halted as Russia’s invasion threatened to overrun the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in February 2022. The overhaul course of had been ongoing at Sviatoshyn Airfield for a while at this level, leaving the plane disassembled and much from flightworthy.
Barely additional out from Kyiv, at Antonov’s predominant facility at Hostomel, a battle which might turn into one of many defining moments of the early phases of the invasion emerged between a Russian air assault power and Ukrainian defenders. With a protracted 3,500 metre runway, Hostomel was a strategic location for Russia to seize with the intention to assist additional operations. Ukraine managed to repel a number of waves of Russian assault, however at the price of the airfields’ utility in addition to the world well-known Antonov An-225 Mriya, which was destroyed. The corporate additionally misplaced their sole An-26 and An-74 throughout the battle.
Because the frontlines settled a lot additional in direction of the internationally recognised border with Russia, the realm round Kyiv turned comparatively secure (albeit nonetheless susceptible to air assault), and work might resume on the An-124. Whereas the An-225, with its huge carrying capability, was the pleasure of Antonov’s fleet, the An-124s are the corporate’s workhorses. Any An-124s on the bottom inside Ukraine on the time of the invasion turned successfully stranded. There don’t seem like any confirmed whole losses of the plane, although UR-82009 did endure harm at Hostomel. 5 An-124s, outdoors of Ukraine on operational flights, had been afterwards rehomed at Leipzig Airport the place Antonov now runs its transport enterprise.
Demand for Antonov’s An-124s has solely elevated following the Russian invasion. Not solely should their plane assist shipments of assist and gear to airports in Europe for onward journey to Ukraine, however exterior contractors – even Western militaries – requiring the An-124’s load capability are in abundance as utilizing the Russian owned Volga-Dnepr Airways’ fleet is now not an possibility. In truth, a few of these plane have themselves turn into stranded abroad after being seized by native authorities. Discussions are underway relating to the potential for possession of the plane to be transferred to Antonov Airways.
Securing the return to service of Antonov’s stranded An-124s would, in fact, assist to alleviate this additional burden, however the difficult nature of Ukraine’s airspace the place neither facet has true air superiority signifies that any flight would face a specific amount of danger of being shot down.
UR-82073’s flight on Jul. 11, 2025 appeared first on flight monitoring companies like Flightradar24 because the plane approached Ukraine’s western border close to Lviv. We, due to this fact, don’t have knowledge to establish whether or not any measures to cut back the plane’s vulnerability had been taken earlier than reaching safer airspace. The plane might have flown at a decrease altitude, decreasing the probability of detection by hostile radar methods. Moreover, contemplating the worth of Antonov’s fleet to the nation as a complete, there may be the likelihood that Ukrainian Air Pressure fighter plane performed defensive missions previous to and throughout the plane’s escape.
Antonov says as a part of UR-82073’s overhaul and modernisation, Russian-produced parts which might now not be maintained because of the ongoing battle had been changed with Ukrainian-built and Western equivalents. The airframe has clocked over 21,000 flight hours throughout 5,500 sorties.
The corporate says that the profitable relocation of the plane is “an emblem of the soundness, professionalism and unity of Ukrainian plane producers.” UR-82073 will now be part of its sister plane serving Antonov’s world operations. Antonov refers to their plane with the title ‘Condor’, selecting to make use of NATO’s reporting title fairly than the Russian designation ‘Ruslan’, which means ‘lion’.
АТ «#АНТОНОВ» завершило складний багаторічний проєкт із глибокої модернізації одного зі своїх легендарних транспортних літаків #Ан124-100.
Детальніше – pic.twitter.com/cmWmYQxYhU
— ANTONOV Firm 🇺🇦 (@AntonovCompany) July 16, 2025
Commemorating battles alongside the Irpin River, close to Kyiv, early within the battle, and the river’s function in serving to defend in opposition to Russian advances, UR-82073 now shows the phrase “Be Courageous Like Irpin” on the fuselage. Adjoining is the Ukrainian Trident (or Tryzub), the nationwide coat of arms that’s strongly related to Ukraine’s independence.
Russian commentators on-line bemoaned the very fact the Russian army weren’t capable of stop this strategic asset escaping from Ukraine and rejoining the Antonov fleet. The Russian Air Pressure’s persistent radar protection over a lot of Ukraine is questionable following the lack of a number of Beriev A-50 airborne early warning plane.
The escape is a supply of pleasure for Antonov and for a lot of Ukrainians as they have a good time one more ‘win’ in opposition to Russia.
In the long run, each Russia and Ukraine have expressed a want to renew manufacture of the An-124 with out assist from one another. The Russian Air Pressure and Volga-Dnepr are tied for the place of largest An-124 operator – although, as talked about earlier, a few of the latters’ fleet have been seized abroad, so their long run standing is beneath query. Because the Progress D-18 engines utilized by the An-124 are manufactured by Russia, any restart of An-124 manufacturing by Ukraine would doubtless be topic to choice of a brand new engine. Research have taken place, even previous to the battle, with this as an finish objective.
Do you know there’s a second, partially-completed An-225 fuselage sitting in Ukraine? pic.twitter.com/2MonEocJWj
— JetPhotos (@JetPhotos) December 8, 2015
For the bigger An-225, Ukraine additionally stays dedicated to getting this iconic plane again into the sky. Crucially, for a few years there was {a partially} accomplished airframe at Antonov’s plant which has waited for funding to lastly be completed. With the quantity of harm to the previously operational airframe, diverting funds to this second plane may be Antonov’s finest hope to resurrect the Mriya.
