Listen: Worlds Largest Plane Destroyed in Russian Invasion
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Russia\\u2019s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has targeted major cities, military facilities and airports \\u2014 including an airfield that was hosting the world\\u2019s largest aircraft.
Ukraine\\u2019s state-run defense conglomerate reported Friday that Russian forces had destroyed the Antonov-225 Mriya, Bloomberg reports.
The famed six-engine cargo plane was undergoing repairs outside Kyiv. The Mriya is 275 feet long and has a wingspan of nearly 290 feet. It is also the world\\u2019s heaviest plane and can carry a maximum payload of 250 tonnes, either within its fuselage or attached on top of the aircraft.
The AN-225 was commissioned while Ukraine was still under Soviet control as officials sought to transport large components for the nation\\u2019s space program. The plane made its maiden flight in 1988; in the decades since, it has joined humanitarian missions \\u2014 including shuttling medical supplies during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic \\u2014 and frequently drew crowds at air shows and other venues.
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