Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane catches fire while landing at Japan's Chubu airport
An An-124-100 Ruslan cargo plane operated by Ukraine's Antonov Airlines caught fire while landing at Japan's Chubu International Airport. The runway was closed for 15 minutes, and Japanese authorities are investigating.
A cargo plane operated by Ukrainian carrier Antonov Airlines, an An-124-100 Ruslan, caught fire as it was landing at Chubu International Airport in Japan. The Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported the incident. The airport closed its runway for 15 minutes because of it. Japanese authorities have said they are investigating what happened.
What remains unknown
NHK did not specify what damage the aircraft sustained, nor whether anyone on board was injured. The cause of the fire has not been made public, and no investigation findings have been announced so far.
An earlier case in Germany
An-124 aircraft have drawn attention before. In August 2026, a drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian An-124 at Leipzig Airport in Germany. Germany accused Russia of attempting sabotage, while Russian authorities deny the accusation.
The source does not indicate that the Japanese incident is connected to the Leipzig case, and the cause of the fire at Chubu has not been established. The investigation by Japanese authorities is expected to clarify what started the fire during landing and what consequences it had.
