An Antonov AN-124 was seen flying over Kyiv on Friday, as it took to the skies for the first time since 2022, having been stored at the city’s Sviatoshyn Airfield.

The aircraft quietly departed from Kyiv to Leipzig/Halle Airport, travelling through Ukraine’s airspace, which has been closed to civilian aircraft for three years, into Poland before arriving in Germany.

The aircraft had been undergoing maintenance at the time Russia launched military action against Ukraine in February 2022, ensuring it avoided the same fate as the AN-225 Mriya, the world’s largest aircraft, which was destroyed in the battle of Hostomel and an AN-124 which suffered severe damage.

The reason for and timing of the flight is unknown, with no official statement from Antonov Airlines on the move. Leipzig has been home to the operational hub of Antonov Airlines since the conflict broke out, which five AN-124 aircraft at the German hub, allowing the airline to continue its global logistic operations.