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Leaked Russian Document Shows Eight Aircraft Damaged in Three Weeks
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At least eight Russian military aircraft and helicopters sustained damage over a three-week period due to aviation incidents and technical failures, according to an internal Russian aviation safety document.
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According to Militarnyi on March 22, the findings are based on an analysis of a restricted Russian report titled “Information on Flight Safety,” which was published by the OSINT group OsintFlow. The document reportedly covers incidents recorded between December 29, 2025, and January 18, 2026.
The document outlines a total of 24 aviation-related events across multiple Russian airbases, including Plesetsk, Engels, Marinovka, Dzhankoi, Millerovo, and Akhtubinsk. OsintFlow’s analysis indicates that most incidents were linked to technical malfunctions or system failures during flight operations.
Among these cases, at least eight incidents resulted in confirmed or likely damage to aircraft. These include transport aircraft, fighter jets, and helicopters such as the Il-76MD-M, MiG-29K, MiG-31BM, Su-35S, Tu-134A, Ka-27PS, and Mi-8.
According to Militarnyi, several incidents involved structural or mechanical failures. In one case, an Il-76 experienced a stabilizer malfunction during descent. A MiG-29K reportedly suffered canopy glass cracking, while a MiG-31BM encountered landing gear failure upon touchdown. A Su-35S sustained damage after striking ground infrastructure during taxiing.
Other cases point to engine-related issues. One Su-35S experienced internal engine component failure, while a Ka-27 helicopter suffered engine damage following a bird strike. A Mi-8 helicopter sustained significant structural damage, including a perforation in its tail boom and failure of control systems during landing.
A notable trend identified in the document is the frequency of engine-related failures. Nine incidents—more than one-third of all recorded cases—were linked to engine malfunctions.
Many of these were associated with cockpit warnings indicating “metal particles in oil,” a condition that Russian aviation standards interpret as a sign of internal engine wear or early-stage component failure.
These engine-related incidents affected multiple aircraft types, including Il-76 transport aircraft, Su-30SM fighters, and Su-34 bombers. In several cases, crews were forced to shut down engines mid-flight and perform emergency landings using reduced power.
The recurrence of similar technical issues across different aircraft platforms may indicate broader systemic challenges related to maintenance, repair, or production quality within Russia’s military aviation sector.
The document reviewed by OsintFlow does not provide full details for all incidents, particularly those involving combat aircraft, leaving the extent of damage in some cases unclear.
Earlier, drones targeted Russia’s Aviastar aircraft plant in Ulyanovsk—one of the country’s key facilities for producing Il-76 military transport aircraft—temporarily disrupting operations, according to regional authorities and monitoring reports.
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