In 2022, the Antonov AN-255 Mriya, the largest plane in the world, was destroyed beyond repair by Russian forces during their invasion of Ukraine.

The damage was so severe that most people expected it to be the end of the record-breaking Cold War era aircraft, forever confining it to the history books. But the Ukrainian government had other ideas.

But it looks now like the AN-225 could be set to make a massive return.