Keen aircraft enthusiasts welcomed the Ukrainian Antonov 124-100 as it landed in Canberra on Monday night.

Punters speculated over what the giant aircraft was doing in the nation's capital on social media, presuming its visit was related to Australia's support for Ukraine's war efforts.

But a Department of Defence spokesperson said it was instead loading equipment and delivering it to its military base in the United Arab Emirates - Al Minhad Air Base.

"The Antonov An-124 commercial transport aircraft that arrived at the Canberra Airport [on Tuesday], loaded Defence equipment for use by the ADF at its main operating base in the Middle East," the spokesperson told The Canberra Times.

Images of the plane's front reveals a tagline as part of a Ukrainian communication campaign, which references the mass murder of Ukrainians in Bucha by Russian forces.

"Be brave like Bucha," the tagline said.

The Ukraine-manufactured Antonov An-124 aircraft are routinely used to transport oversized military equipment because of their sheer size and capabilities.

The wingspan of the Soviet Union-era aircraft reach 73 metres and were the largest and heaviest cargo planes of their kind until the Antonov An-225 Mriya was built.

Only one An-225 aircraft was built but it was destroyed last year when Russian forces launched an offensive on Antonov Airport on the outskirts of Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to complete a second An-225 following its destruction in February 2022.

Details of where the large plane had visited before arriving in Australia are scant but according to flight tracking websites, it had recently visited Leipzig in Germany and the eastern Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

President Zelenskyy last April announced he would spread Ukraine's message of bravery and courage to the world following Russia's invasion.

"In fact, this is our brand. This is what it means to be us. To be Ukrainians. To be brave," he said.

"If everyone in the world had at least ten percent of the courage that we Ukrainians have, there would be no danger to international law at all. There would be no danger to the freedom of the nations.

"We will spread our courage. We will start a special global campaign. We will teach the world to be not just a little bit, but full of courage. Like us, like Ukrainians."

The Antonov company has since included references to the tagline on their fleet of Antonov 124-100s, marking major conflicts against Russia in Bucha along with Mariupol, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Irpin.

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