Mystery after world’s largest military cargo plane ‘catches fire’ during landing

A giant Ukrainian cargo plane appeared to catch on fire as it landed in Japan, forcing the temporary closure of a runway.

The Antonov An-124 Ruslan, the world’s largest operational military transport aircraft, was involved in the alarming incident at Chubu Centrair International Airport, near Nagoya.

Flames were spotted around the four-engined plane shortly after it landed on Thursday evening.

Flight records show that days earlier, the cargo plane had been operating in Leipzig, in Germany, the scene of a Russian sabotage operation against this type of plane.

The fire, now under investigation by Japanese authorities, happened at 7:20 p.m. local time, said Japanese broadcaster NHK.

Emergency precautions were taken, and the runway was closed for about 15 minutes, disrupting airport operations briefly.

The aircraft was able to taxi to its parking position under its own power, and no injuries were reported.

Local reports suggest the flames were brief and did not develop into a sustained blaze. The type of cargo it was carrying has not been disclosed.

The 226ft-long An-124, nicknamed Ruslan, is one of the largest aircraft ever built, designed to transport enormous industrial equipment, military vehicles and other oversized cargo.

Its wingspan is 240ft, and it carries up to 150 tonnes. The aircraft is operated by Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, which has continued flying its giant transport planes around the world from outside its war-ravaged home country despite Russia’s invasion.

The landing fire follows reports in Germany of a Russian sabotage operation involving Ukrainian Antonov planes at Leipzig and Halle Airport in August.

An explosive drone was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft, seen as alarming evidence of Russian hybrid warfare in NATO states.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.