Listen: World’s Largest Plane Destroyed in Russian Invasion

Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has targeted major cities, military facilities and airports — including an airfield that was hosting the world’s largest aircraft.Ukraine’s 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’s 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’s space program. The plane made its maiden flight in 1988; in the decades since, it has joined humanitarian missions — including shuttling medical supplies during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — and frequently drew crowds at air shows and other venues.