Direct proof of use
The An-22's documented appearance in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War is a ground-damage case at Antonov's Hostomel base, not a confirmed wartime transport sortie. Aviation Safety Network identifies Antonov Airlines An-22A UR-09307 at Kyiv-Gostomel Airport on 24 February 2022, with the aircraft in the standing phase and substantial damage recorded after Russian forces began their attempt to seize the airport.
ASN's aircraft-specific entry says UR-09307's left-hand fuselage and top fuselage were penetrated by projectiles while it was parked on the apron without propellers. ASN's broader Hostomel multiple-aircraft entry separately lists the same An-22A among damaged aircraft at the airport and describes it as stored engineless at the time.
Sources: ASN An-22A UR-09307 Hostomel Damage, ASN Hostomel Multiple Aircraft Damage
Timeline
The key dated event is 24 February 2022, the opening day of Russia's full-scale invasion. ASN places the An-22A at Kyiv-Gostomel Airport on that date and links the damage context to Russia's attempt to seize the airfield, with continued fighting in the following days.
After Ukrainian forces retook Hostomel Airport, World Airline News reported Antonov's damage survey and described the airport as the base of Antonov Airlines. The report named the An-22 among Antonov aircraft damaged or destroyed in the Russian invasion damage at the airport.
Sources: ASN An-22A UR-09307 Hostomel Damage, World Airline News Hostomel Damage Survey
Battlefield role
In this conflict record, the An-22 was a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines heavy transport asset caught in the battle for Hostomel rather than an aircraft documented flying wartime logistics missions. The available direct sources support the presence and damage of UR-09307 at Kyiv-Gostomel, including projectile penetration while parked, but they do not establish a sortie, cargo load, unit tasking, or active flight operation during the battle.
The parent aircraft type is a Soviet-designed heavy turboprop military transport aircraft, and Antonov's history describes the An-22 as an aircraft built for carrying large cargo, including military equipment and oversized components. That background explains the aircraft's normal role, while the conflict-specific evidence supports only the narrower Hostomel ground-damage record.
Sources: ASN An-22A UR-09307 Hostomel Damage, ASN Hostomel Multiple Aircraft Damage, World Airline News Hostomel Damage Survey, Antonov AN-22 History
