- Category
- Latest news
Russia Struggles to Boost Warplane Production Amid Sanctions, ISW Reports
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Russia is trying to ramp up combat aircraft production over the medium and long term, but the effort is being held back by serious constraints.
According to a new report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), revealed on June 29, satellite imagery analyzed by Finnish outlet Yle shows that between mid-2024 and May 2025, Russia built or expanded at least five structures—covering a total of 19,000 square meters—at the Kazan Aviation Plant.
The facility is responsible for producing and upgrading Russia’s strategic bombers, including the Tu-160M, Tu-160M2, and Tu-22M3, as well as helicopters. The Kremlin plans to further expand the plant’s capacity by the end of 2026.
In early 2025, Russian officials announced the completion of a new workshop and claimed improvements in manufacturing technology and equipment. They also unveiled production targets: four Tu-214 aircraft by the end of 2025, seven more in 2026, 17 in 2027, and 28 by 2028.
However, according to ISW, the Kazan plant is struggling to keep up. Sanctions and a chronic labor shortage continue to undercut Russia’s ability to modernize and scale production. In 2024, the plant delivered just two Tu-160M2 and two Tu-160M bombers.
“Sanctions and parts and labor shortages will likely continue to slow Russia's aircraft production, even as Russia works to expand physical production capabilities,” ISW notes.
Earlier, Russian forces used a new type of drone called Chernika, to strike Kharkiv for the first time, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported. The attack is part of an intensified campaign of aerial assaults, with the city enduring 16 strikes in just the past week.
