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the Soviet space shuttle.

Its later life, while slightly less glamorous, was equally iconic -- it was the world’s largest cargo transporter, with around twice the hold capacity as a Boeing 747, winning cult status among self-styled avgeeks. It stretched to 84 meters, or 275 feet, with the longest wingspan of any fully operational airplane. To date, it is the heaviest aircraft ever built.

Its destruction was announced on February 27 2022, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeting that “Russia may have destroyed our ‘Mriya’... but they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state.”

The Antonov Company said at the time that it was unable to verify the condition of the plane, while CNN journalist Vasco Cotovio noted that the nose had apparently taken “a direct artillery hit” and was “completely destroyed” when he saw it on an April visit.

On Monday, however, the Antonov Company announced in a tweet that the rebuild project had already begun, with “design work” already in the offing. While it had estimated repair costs, the company predicted a bill of over €500 million ($502 million) to get it back in the air, promising more information “after the victory.”