GROUNDED

Ex-Official Charged With Negligence Over Wreck of World’s Largest Plane

The attack on the An-225 Mriya aircraft was a major loss to Ukraine in the early days of the Russian invasion.

The former head of Ukraine’s state-owned aircraft manufacturing company Antonov has been charged with official negligence over the destruction of the world’s largest cargo aircraft, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced. The An-225 “Mriya” was destroyed in its hangar by Russian paratroopers during the Battle of Antonov Airport in the early hours of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Now Serhii Bychkov, who was dismissed from his role at the head of Antonov in March last year, has been accused of failing to ensure the safe evacuation of the plane to Germany, despite the airport having enough fuel for the flight and the crew being ready for departure. “[T]he former General Director of Antonov State Enterprise did not issue the relevant order and ignored the reports and proposals of his subordinates,” the SBU said. Bychkov’s actions caused a loss of almost $230 million to the Ukraine state, the agency added.