Ukraine's An-124 Ruslan cargo plane catches fire at Japanese airport
Photo: A Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan caught fire at Chubu Airport in Japan (screenshot from a FL360aero video)
On October 22, a fire broke out on a Ukrainian An-124-100 Ruslan transport aircraft operated by Antonov Airlines at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Japan. Due to the incident, the runway was closed for 15 minutes, according to FL360aero.
After an inspection, the airport resumed normal flight operations.
It is not yet known whether the aircraft was damaged or if anyone was injured. No reports indicate what cargo Ruslan was carrying or the cause of the fire.
The An-124 Ruslan is one of the world's largest cargo aircraft developed by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kyiv.
This is not the first incident involving a Ukrainian Ruslan abroad. On the night of August 5, a drone containing explosives and a detonator was found near an Antonov Airlines An-124 at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany. According to media reports, the plane was loaded with ammunition. The device did not explode, and US intelligence linked the sabotage attempt to Russian military intelligence.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Russia's Vladimir Putin has ordered an escalation of sabotage operations against NATO countries, so the Alliance may face new attacks similar to the one in Leipzig. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also warned about the Kremlin's plans regarding Ukraine and Europe.
