Antonov An-225 Mriya

The Antonov An-225 Mriya (meaning 'Dream' in Ukrainian) is a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed by the Soviet Antonov Design Bureau in the 1980s. Originally conceived to transport the Soviet Buran space shuttle and Energia rocket components, it remains the largest and heaviest aircraft ever constructed, with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes. Only one aircraft was completed and entered service, operated by Antonov Airlines for outsize and heavy cargo transport worldwide. It was powered by six Ivchenko Progress D-18T turbofan engines and featured a distinctive twin-tail design to accommodate cargo loaded on its back. The sole operational An-225 was destroyed on 27 February 2022 at Hostomel Airport near Kyiv during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A second airframe was approximately 60–70% complete at the time of the aircraft's destruction, and its future remains uncertain.