War in Ukraine. two former Ukrainian officials were arrested for their involvement in the world’s largest plane crash;

The Security Services of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Friday, March 10, the arrest of two former aviation officials for their role in the downing of the Antonov-225, the world’s largest airliner.mriyaAt the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.

The former director of the aircraft construction company Antonov and the head of his security service and the assistant director, who “hide from justiceis a subject of investigation, the SBU said on Telegram.

“Criminal Actions”

“Those who de facto helped the enemy to destroy one of the symbols of Ukraine should be punished“said the head of the SBU, Vasyl Maliuk, as quoted by the press release. According to the SBU, the three former officials “forbids the Ukrainian military to build fortificationsat Gostomel airport near Kiev in January and February 2022, which then became the scene of fierce fighting. “These criminal activities led to the temporary invasion of this strategic airfield and surrounding settlements and the downing of the Mriya aircraft.“(“to dreamUkrainian), the only copy of which was on this website, the organization informed.

Accused of havingprevent legitimate activitythree men in the army, according to the same source, face up to 15 years in prison. At the end of February 2022, the Russian army destroyed “mriyaThe world’s largest aircraft manufactured by Antonov during the fighting at Gostomel airfield, about twenty kilometers northwest of Kiev. This unique device in the world was 84 meters long and could transport up to 250 tons of cargo at a speed of up to 850 km/h.

First flight in 1988

Originally built as part of Soviet aviation programs, specifically for the transportation of Buran spacecraft, the An-225 made its first flight in 1988. After several years of inactivity and a lack of resources following the collapse of the Soviet Union. , the only existing example made a test flight in 2001 at Gostomel.

After that, it was operated by Ukrainian Antonov Airlines. This aircraft has played a vital role in the distribution of masks worldwide during the Covid-19 crisis and has been regularly used by NATO and oil companies for high-volume shipments.