A gigantic Antonov An-124 Ruslan cargo plane was spotted flying over Kiev, Ukraine, awakening surprise and speculation.
The airspace of the Ukrainian capital has been closed to non -military flights since the beginning of the war in 2022, making the appearance of the aircraft, built in Ukraine, an unusual event. Although its exact route remains uncertain, satellite images and tracking data suggest that the airplane, recorded by Antonov Airlines, may have taken off from Svyatoshino Airport in Kiev, where it was parked since the conflict began before heading to Leipzig, Germany.
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Some sources, however, claim that the flight would have departed from Dnipro in eastern Ukraine, possibly in an attempt to relocate the aircraft before Russian attacks in the region. Tracking data showed a suspicious sign, identified as a drone, raising hypotheses that the AN-124 could be using a counterfeit transponder to mislead radars. Still, experts question this theory, as a plane of this size would be easily detected.
The fact that he fell over Ukrainian territory without being intercepted irritated pro-Russian channels, who criticized intelligence failure to monitor strategic aircraft.
The successful escape of AN-124 represents a symbolic victory for Ukraine, as the aircraft can return to operating in loading missions, generating revenue for the war effort. This is not the first case of commercial aircraft leaving the country after long periods stopped in 2022, two A400m Turkish freighters managed to leave Kiev after blocked months.
While the Ukrainian authorities did not officially comment, residents of the capital celebrated the rare view of a civil plane in the sky, a brief breath amid the rigors of war.
Source: The War Zone | Photo: x @united24media | This content was created with the help of AI and revised by the editorial team
Ukrainians spotted a plane over their skies with the call sign PTNPNH—short for “Putin, go f*ck yourself.” pic.twitter.com/FEOVyoSuAd
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