Former heads of Ukrainian state aircraft company arrested in connection with destruction of world’s largest plane
The Ukrainian authorities reported Friday that several top officials from the state-owned aircraft manufacturing company Antonov are suspected of obstructing the lawful activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and thereby facilitating the destruction of the world’s largest plane, the An-225 Mriya, by the Russian military in February 2022.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, an investigation has been launched against former Antonov General Director Sergiy Bychkov, his deputy Mykhailo Kharchenko, and the head of the company’s aviation security division, Alexander Netesov.
Ukrainian security services said that two of the suspects have been arrested and one has been put on the federal wanted list. Ukrainska Pravda reported that Netesov has left Ukraine. All three suspects reportedly face up to 15 years in prison.
Ukrainian Security Service officials believe that in January–February 2022, the company’s leaders prevented the military from establishing defenses at the Hostomel airport where the Mriya was stored. As a result, according to investigators, Russian forces were able to temporarily take control of the airport and the surrounding areas and destroy the aircraft.
