Ukrainian Antonow An-124 escapes: Russia stunned!

Ukrainian Antonow An-124 escapes: Russia stunned!

Leipzig, Deutschland - On July 11, 2025, a remarkable returnee landed at Leipzig-Halle Airport: The Antonow An-124 with the license plate UR-82073, which was previously parked in Kiev-Swjatoschyn due to maintenance work. This is reported by the flugrevue . The AN-124 belongs to Antonov Airlines and has been stationed in the Ukrainian capital since March 2021. Due to the Russian attack on Ukraine, airspace over the country has been closed to civil flights since February 24, 2022.

none other than the Ukrainian Antonov Airlines has once again secured a strong position in international air transport. With six active AN-124 copies that expand your fleet, the airline is back on track. When the AN-124 started on July 11th, this happened without a transponder signal, which left it undetected to the Polish-Ukrainian border. The aircraft was only traceable in Polish airspace. Eyewitnesses reported impressive deep flights about Kyiv, which even surprised the Russian army. Critics expressed loudly that Russia had given the opportunity to neutralize the AN-124 on the ground or to shoot after the start.

Airports like Leipzig-Halle have established themselves as central contact points for the An-124. Here the machines are waited and modernized. According to Euractiv , the An- 124 is not only the largest serial freight aircraft in the world, but also acts as a backbone of international air transport. With a payload of up to 150 tons, it is of crucial importance for NATO and UNO, especially for humanitarian missions and military transports.

The Russian aviation situation, however, looks very different. While the Ukrainian An-124 are active again in Leipzig, Russian machines such as those of the Volga-Dnepr Airlines must remain on the ground. This airline currently has one of its machines in Canada, which has been stuck there for three years, as a symbol of the difficulties with which the Russian aviation is confronted. According to NZZ , the machine was confiscated due to the Russian attack on Ukraine, and the Russian Foreign Ministry is protested against the planned Transfer of the machine to Ukraine.

summarized it shows that while Antonov Airlines wants to build on old successes with new technology from Leipzig, the Russian aviation has to deal with major challenges. Air traffic has changed drastically through the Ukraine conflict, and the Antonow An-124 remains a symbol for these new times.