Ukraine Successfully Transports Modernized Ruslan to Germany

Antonov has completed the deep modernization of an An-124-100 Ruslan cargo aircraft, which had remained disassembled at the company’s facility since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The company announced that the aircraft, bearing serial number 0706, departed from its home airfield on July 11 and landed in Leipzig, Germany, where other Antonov aircraft are currently based.

Antonov called the relocation not only an engineering milestone but also a symbol of the resilience, professionalism, and unity of Ukrainian aviation specialists.

The upgraded aircraft will resume operations on international routes, representing the country’s aerospace industry abroad.

Originally built in 1994, the aircraft has logged over 21,000 flight hours and completed over 5,500 flights. The modernization process began in 2021.

The primary goal was to replace all critical components previously sourced from Russia with Ukrainian- and Western-made equivalents. According to the company, the project was carried out under significant technical and logistical constraints.

Work was halted in 2022 due to Russia’s full-scale invasion, when the aircraft was still in a disassembled state. Despite ongoing security risks, Antonov’s team resumed the project and completed the modernization in June 2025.

Unlike several other Antonov aircraft damaged during the Battle of Hostomel, this particular aircraft, registered as UR-82073, was undergoing maintenance at the time of the invasion and was not at the Hostomel airfield.

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Following the attack on Hostomel, Antonov Airlines moved its operations center to Leipzig. The carrier now operates five active An-124-100 aircraft from its base in Germany.

From there, the state-owned airline continues to fly missions in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and to carry out commercial deliveries of oversized cargo.