FLASH
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The flight of one of the world's largest cargo planes to Pristina did not appear in online records. Authorities in Kosovo did not provide an explanation, while Germany refused to comment on military transports.
The arrival of an Antonov An-124 aircraft at Pristina International Airport "Adem Jashari" has sparked interest and questions in Kosovo, while the reason for the landing of one of the largest transport aircraft in the world is still not officially known.
The plane with registration UR-82008 landed on May 6 at Pristina airport, but its flight did not appear in online commercial flight logs, adding to the mystery surrounding its mission.
Radio Free Europe reported that it had requested information from Pristina Airport about the arrival of the Ukrainian-made aircraft, but had not received a response. The Kosovo Ministry of Defense also stated that it had no official information regarding this flight.
Footage of the giant plane's landing was published by renowned Kosovar photographer Arian Mavriqi, as well as by local and foreign aviation enthusiasts, who shared photos and videos on social media.
According to allegations published by aviation followers, the Antonov An-124 is believed to have come from an air base in Germany and may have been transporting military equipment for the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR.
However, KFOR did not respond to REL's questions regarding this issue.
Even the German Ministry of Defense avoided confirming or denying the plane's mission.
"As a matter of principle and regardless of the specific question, we do not comment on military transports," a ministry spokesman told REL.
However, the German side confirmed that the German armed forces use the Antonov company's transport services.
"The capacities of Antonov Logistics SALIS GmbH are used for the delivery and supply of German forces in the context of national and alliance defense, international crisis management and national risk and crisis management," said the spokesman for the German Defense Ministry.
Antonov Airlines is part of the Ukrainian state-owned Antonov Company headquartered in Kiev and operates a fleet of transport aircraft for heavy cargo and military equipment.
The An-124 Ruslan aircraft are considered among the largest in the world for air transport and can carry loads of up to 150 tons.
According to the company's official data, two aircraft of this type are used through the Antonov Logistics SALIS GmbH company for transports to NATO and European Union countries in emergency situations or security-related operations.
Due to the war in Ukraine, the operational center for aircraft planning and maintenance has been temporarily relocated to Leipzig, Germany.
This is not the first time that an Antonov An-124 has landed in Kosovo. Pristina Airport previously released photos of the plane during a visit in 2016, while the BBKRspotters group recorded another landing in January 2024.
So far, not even Antonov Airlines has provided any explanation for the last flight to Kosovo, leaving open speculation that it is a logistical operation related to NATO or KFOR.
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