This article was updated to include a clarification from Antonov
CEO of Ukrainian airplane company Antonov Yevhen Havrylov announced that Ukraine has started work to construct a second An-225 Mriya airplane to replace the one that was destroyed in the Russian attack on its home airport in Hostomel, Bild reported.
Bild reported that Havrylov stated in Leipzig that “work on the new aircraft is underway at a secret location” and that it is 30% reconstructed, and that the never-completed second AN-225 will be supplemented with parts of the bombed plane and new parts, adding that it will cost EUR 500 million.
However, in a comment, in its FB post, Antonov said that the Bild report was imprecise.
“Currently, design works in this direction have begun. According to available expert estimates, currently there are about 30% of components that can be used for the second model of the aircraft. The cost of building the aircraft is estimated at least 500 million euros. However, it is too early to talk about the specific amount.
More detailed information will be disseminated after Ukraine’s victory in the war.”
Wreckage of the destroyed airplane is to be displayed at an exhibition in the airport in Leipzig, Germany, until the end of 2022. The world’s largest aircraft Mriya was a regular visitor to Leipzig before it was largely destroyed in a Russian attack. Havrylov said that Antonov plans to sell merchandise at the airport, like models of Mriya, to help raise funds, according to Bild.
The world’s largest cargo plane An-225 Mriya was destroyed during Russia’s attempt to seize Kyiv. Its wreckage is now in a half-ruined hangar on the territory of the airfield in Hostomel. You can see what the destroyed An-225 Mriya looks like from the inside thanks to the volunteer project 360war.in.ua.
The Antonov hangars also housed a partially built second copy of the An-225.
In 2020, the then head of Ukraine’s state weapons concern Ukroboronprom Ihor Fomenko said that the second copy of the world’s largest Mriya aircraft could be completed, but it would need to be completely redesigned.
In 2019, the lead designer of the An-225, Mykola Kalashnikov, said that about $300-400 million would be needed to complete it.
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