Antonov An-225 Mriya pilot shows devastation at Hostomel airport

Dmytro Antonov, the chief pilot of the Antonov An-225 Mriya, published a video showing the result of heavy fighting and Russian occupation at Hostomel airport. 

The video was published on Dmytro’s YouTube channel on April 2, 2022. 

“That is April’s first of the year 2022. Hostomel. The Russian world has been here. Nothing more to say,” Dmytro says at the beginning of the video. 

The video begins with the sight of the heavily damaged headquarters of Antonov Airlines. According to Antonov, the offices have been looted, with all the documents, as well as computers, stolen. Some of the company’s safes were broken into, while others show traces of attempts to break in. 

It appears the occupying troops also used some of the offices as improvised barracks, with the packages of Russian military MREs (meals ready-to-eat) scattered around, as well as remains of fireplaces that were set up indoors.  

Outside, some of the aircraft of Antonov Airlines can be seen destroyed or heavily damaged, including one An-124 Ruslan, one An-74, one An-132, several An-22 and An-26s. Numerous destroyed and damaged Russian military vehicles also litter the premises of the airport.  

The damage to the An-225 is also shown in detail. The fuselage of the aircraft has been almost entirely destroyed. Only the left wing of the aircraft remains largely intact, in part thanks to the fact that when it separated from the fuselage, it landed on a Cessna 172 aircraft parked nearby. 

Several engines and the tail of the aircraft look like they can be reused, according to Antonov. 

The Ukrainian state conglomerate and parent company of Antonov, Ukroboronprom, estimated that the restoration of the Antonov An-225 Mriya would cost more than $3 billion and take in excess of five years. 

The interior of several of Antonov hangars can be seen in the video. However, there is no sight of the second unfinished airframe of the An-225.