A massive Antonov An-124 Ruslan cargo plane was spotted flying over Kyiv, Ukraine, sparking surprise and speculation.
The airspace over 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—a highly unusual event. Although its exact route remains unclear, satellite images and tracking data suggest that the plane, registered to Antonov Airlines, may have taken off from Svyatoshino Airport in Kyiv, where it had been parked since the start of the conflict, before heading to Leipzig, Germany.
Some sources, however, claim that the flight originated from Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine, possibly in an attempt to relocate the aircraft ahead of potential Russian strikes in the region. Tracking data showed a suspicious signal, identified as a “drone,” leading to speculation that the An-124 may have used a spoofed transponder to avoid radar detection. However, experts have cast doubt on this theory, since an aircraft of this size would still be easily visible.
The fact that it flew over Ukrainian territory without being intercepted angered pro-Russian channels, which criticized the intelligence failure to monitor such a strategic aircraft.
The successful escape of the An-124 is seen as a symbolic victory for Ukraine, as the aircraft can now resume cargo transport missions, generating revenue to support the war effort. This is not the first time commercial planes have left the country after being grounded for extended periods—back in 2022, two Turkish A400M cargo planes managed to depart Kyiv after months of being blocked.
While Ukrainian authorities have not officially commented, residents of the capital celebrated the rare sight of a civilian aircraft in the sky—a brief moment of normalcy amid the hardships of war.
Source: The War Zone | Photo: X @United24media | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed 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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