On Friday, July 11, Antonov Airlines successfully evacuated its An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft from Ukraine to Germany. The aircraft had been stored in a disassembled state at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to the company’s press service.

The aircraft, registration UR-82073, was manufactured in 1994. It has accumulated over 21,000 flight hours across more than 5,500 flights.

In 2021, it was sent for a comprehensive modernization aimed at replacing its main Russian-made components with modern parts produced in the West and Ukraine.

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Because the aircraft was undergoing repairs when the war began, it avoided the fate of other Antonov planes that were damaged or destroyed during the Battle of Hostomel.

Despite wartime challenges, the Antonov team continued working and successfully completed the aircraft’s modernization in June 2025.

Source: Flightradar

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  • During the fighting at Antonov International Airport in Hostomel, three aircraft were destroyed: the largest in the world An-225 Mriya, the An-26 turboprop, and the An-74, commonly known as Cheburashka.
  • Several other aircraft were damaged, including the newest An-132, developed in 2016–2017 for Saudi Arabia, an An-124-100-150 Ruslan, an An-12, the recently restored An-22 Antei, and the light twin-engine An-28.
  • The airport’s control tower and administrative building were also destroyed.
  • Antonov Airlines is now operating out of Leipzig Airport in Germany.