Ukrainian An-124 deploying forces, equipment to Mali

KYIV, January 21 /UKRINFORM/. The French military are exploiting the Ukrainian aircraft An-124 Ruslan by the Russian-Ukrainian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr to transport military equipment and property to Mali to participate in the Operation Serval, France's Defense Ministry told a Paris-based UKRINFORM reporter.

"This week two Ukrainian aircraft An-124 Ruslan operated by the Russian-Ukrainian air carrier Volga-Dnepr carried out a series of flights from the French Evreux Fauville Air Base to Mali with military equipment on board," read a statement.

Transportation is carried out under a contract between Volga-Dnepr and the Ministry of Defense of France, signed in 2010. Photos and videos of aircraft during loading in France were also posted on Facebook by French soldiers. An-124 Ruslan deploys military equipment, including helicopters, as well as the personnel of the Armed Forces of France, who at the request of the Government of Mali and within the UN Security Council Resolution No. 2085 on January 10, 2013 began the Operation Serval.

A reminder that the An-124 Ruslan is the world's largest cargo plane. It was developed in 1982 by Antonov Design Bureau. The first aircraft was produced in 1984. Overall, 56 aircrafts were made in 20 years.

An-124 is capable of taking on up to 880 soldiers with full equipment. The total volume of the cargo compartment is over a thousand cubic meters. Cost - $ 300 million. The crew of the aircraft - 5-6 people. Load capacity - 120 tons. Length - 69 m, wingspan - 73 m, height - 21.1 m. Maximum speed - 865 km/h. Flight distance is 15,700 km.