SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 4 October 2024, Friday |

Ukraine detains officials over destruction of famous plane at start of war

On Friday, Ukraine issued suspicion notices to three former senior Antonov executives for hindering the military and permitting Russia to destroy the famed “Mriya” cargo jet at the outset of the formal conflict.

The Ukrainian National Guard was unable to construct defenses at a crucial airport on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv in January and February of last year as the possibility of a full-scale invasion by Russia loomed, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office and the SBU security organization.

The SBU and prosecutors said in statements that two of the suspects were detained and the former general director of Antonov was declared a wanted person. The suspects, who were not named, could face up to 15 years in prison.

A notice of suspicion indicates to the recipient that they are a person under investigation by law enforcement.

Antonov Airport in Hostomel, an international cargo terminal with a long runway built to handle the world’s largest cargo plane the Antonov An-225 – or “Mriya” – was a key target of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s planned assault on Kyiv.

    Source:
  • Reuters