Ukraine's Antonov confirms its plane left Kyiv despite closed skies amid Russian invasion

A modernized Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan cargo aircraft was relocated from Ukraine to Germany last week in a rare wartime flight, according to a July 17 statement from the Antonov company.

The plane departed Kyiv on July 11, marking its first flight since Ukrainian airspace was closed for safety reasons following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The aircraft, originally produced in 1994 and bearing serial number 0706, was safely transferred abroad following years of extensive upgrades. The An-124 had logged more than 21,000 flight hours across over 5,500 flights before undergoing a major overhaul.

Antonov said the modernization project began in 2021 and focused on replacing critical components originally manufactured in Russia with modern parts sourced from Western and Ukrainian suppliers.

Work was interrupted following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, when the aircraft was still disassembled. Despite wartime conditions, the Antonov team resumed and completed the project in June 2025.

"The relocation of the Ruslan is not just a technical achievement — it symbolizes the resilience, professionalism, and unity of Ukrainian aircraft engineers,"  the company said in its statement. The upgraded aircraft will now serve international operations.

Antonov confirmed that its current fleet has been moved to secure locations under internal safety protocols.

Another Antonov's aircraft, the world’s largest cargo plane, the An-225 Mriya a was destroyed during a Russian air strike on Hostomel Airport near Kyiv in the early days of the invasion.

The former director of Antonov, Serhii Bychkov, was charged in April 2023 with negligence for allegedly failing to evacuate the Mriya despite repeated warnings.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) estimated the damage to the state at over Hr 8.4 billion ($227.8 million). Bychkov remains in custody.