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Ukraine Flies Its One-Of-A-Kind An-70 to Poland—Rare Transport Jet Spotted
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine repositioned its only flying Antonov An-70 transport aircraft into Polish airspace, Polish Military Radar reported on September 15.
The transfer—notable because only one An-70 remains operational with Ukraine’s Armed Forces—was logged and visible on Flightradar24.
Data from Flightradar24 shows the An-70, tail number 02 “blue,” entered Poland during daylight hours. Open-source flight tracks indicate the aircraft flew over Ukrainian territory with its transponder switched off and only enabled the device once it crossed into Poland—a tactic commonly used for operational security.
Because of wartime precautions, Ukrainian military transport flights are not typically publicized. Still, the rare appearance of the An-70 on international trackers underscores both its uniqueness and the operational sensitivity around Ukraine’s remaining strategic airlift assets.
The single An-70 in Ukrainian service was accepted into the Armed Forces in 2015. Antonov has since carried out modernization work on the airframe; the type returned to flight after a long hiatus in July 2021 as part of preparations for a demonstration to mark the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s restored independence.
Designed in the Soviet era and refined by Antonov, the An-70 is a medium-range military transport intended to replace older An-12s.
Depending on configuration, it can carry up to 110 paratroopers, 300 troops with personal weapons, or 206 wounded and accompanying medical staff.
The aircraft can also perform parachute drops of personnel and light equipment from low or high altitudes and is capable of rapidly moving the bulk of motorized rifle unit equipment.
Earlier, a Ukrainian-made firefighting aircraft, the An-32P, was deployed to Montenegro to help battle wildfires under a mission supported by the United Arab Emirates.
The arrangement was finalized following talks between Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
