An Antonov An-225 Mriya aircraft arrived in Ukraine from China with 103 tons of medical supplies on April 23, the company reported.
The plane brought 12 million masks, about 260,000 protective eyeglasses and more than 100,000 protection suits destined to hospitals and pharmacies, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech on the tarmac while greeting the plane on April 23.
It is the latest shipment of the Ukrainian iconic aircraft transporting vital medical supplies from China to Europe, adding up to the giant plane’s world records.
It is a much-needed help, as the country is already experiencing a spike in infections due to mass quarantine violations during the Easter holiday, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said during an online briefing on April 23.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Health had previously purchased over 71,000 biological protection suits for medics working with patients with COVID-19, Deputy Health Minister Svitlana Shatalova said on April 20.
As of April 23, the number of officially confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ukraine has reached 7,170, according to Ukraine’s health ministry. In total, 187 people have died from the disease in Ukraine and 504 have recovered.
Ukraine also delivers medical supplies to other countries.
The same week, the Mriya An-225, belonging to the state-run Antonov company, broke two world records for the most substantial volume of cargo ever carried in one week, transporting vital medical supplies from China to Europe to help combat the pandemic, Simple Flying magazine reported on April 22.
“We are changing the perception of Ukraine in the world. We are not just asking (for help) but also helping others,” Zelensky said on April 23.
The first record for cargo was set by the Mriya on April 14 when it took off from China with 100 tons of medical supplies to Warsaw, transporting millions of face masks, thousands of protective overalls and helmets.
The Antonov planes usually transport oversize cargo, such as military vehicles and even smaller aircraft, loaded onboard through an opening in the nose of the planes. In total the cargo equated to 1000 cubic meters, the largest volume of cargo the six-engine monster had ever carried. Its volume is approximately 1300 cubic meters.
Antonov broke the world record days later when it brought another 150 tons shipment to France.
On April 22, Antonov Airlines reported that another model, the An-124 Ruslan, able to transport over a 1,000 cubic meters, began a series of flights to the US.
Over the course of the next month, both of these aircraft will go on at least 11 trips from Asian countries to the U.S., Vitaliy Shost, Antonov’s deputy director Vitaliy Shost said in a comment to BuzzFeed News on April 17.
