Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin IL-76 - 25th Transport Aviation Brigade - 76683

Originally designed as a commercial freighter to transport heavy machinery to remote places inside the Soviet Union without any infrastructure, the IL-76 developed into a large family of aircraft for both commercial and military use. More than 970 have been built since its first introduction back in 1974. Compared to earlier versions, the IL-76MD has an increased flight range and higher gross weight. The power plant and systems are identical to those of the Il-76M. Structural changes were made to its airframe to accommodate a higher payload of up to 50 tons. At the same time, internal fuel capacity was increased to 117,000 liters by enlarging the wing tanks, resulting in a new range of 4,400 kilometers with a maximum payload. This IL-76MD originally entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1986. From 1993 onwards, she saw use as a commercial freighter for Veteran Avia and later Atlant-Soyuz Airlines, before being purchased by the Ukrainian Air Force in 2002. 76683 is operated by the 25th Transport Aviation Brigade and is named for Lt. Colonel Oleksandr Ivanovych Bilyi. He was the commander of a Il-76, which was shot down on June 14, 2014, during the approach to Luhansk Airport by a Russian surface-to-air missile. On board were nine crew members and 40 paratroopers. Posthumously, this IL-76 was named in honor of Oleksandr Bilyi.