How Many Aircraft Does Russia Have in Service?

In May 2024, Statista estimated that Russia had a total of 4,255 total military aircraft but as the war continues, the figures are changing daily. They estimated that Russia has 809 fighter aircraft or interceptor aircraft, 730 dedicated attack aircraft, 559 attack helicopters, 1547 helicopters and more.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported yesterday, 27th August 2024, that Ukraine has downed a total of 367 Russian aircraft and 328 helicopters since the full-scale war started in February 2022.

Statista reported that as of May 2024, the number of Russian aircraft outnumbered that of Ukraine’s Air Force by more than 13 times. However, NATO allies are supporting Ukraine by supplying F-16s. 

Ukraine received its first batch of six F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands this month, in August 2024. Additional F-16 fighter jets from Denmark are expected to arrive and defend Ukrainian skies later this year. In total, Ukraine is expecting another 20 F-16 fighter jets by the end of this year. 

Before the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, it was much easier to access information about the number of Russian aircraft. Information on aircraft transfers and orders was often published by the Russian Defense Ministry. Now, those interested in these figures mostly rely on open-source intelligence (OSINT), as the Russian Federation does what it can to keep real figures out of the public domain. 

During the first month of full-scale war in 2022 alone, Oryx reported that Ukraine eliminated 279 Russian aircraft, 231 of which were destroyed, 43 damaged, and five captured. These figures included but were not limited to the losses of fighter aircraft such as 3 MiG-31 fighter aircraft, 33 Su-35 multipurpose fighter aircraft, and 34 Su-34 fighter bombers. 

They noted that these figures were likely to be significantly higher, as they have only included destroyed aerial assets of which photo or videographic evidence or pilot death notices are available.

In February 2024, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry reported that Ukraine destroyed 13 Russian planes. Ten of those were Su-34 fighter bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets, and one A-50U long-range radar detection aircraft, a rare Russian plane valued at around $350 million that Russia can no longer reproduce. In total, Russian aircraft worth over $1 billion were destroyed in February 2024. 

Russia continues to wage large scale attacks on Ukraine, with Russia’s largest attack since the full-scale war began, launched on Monday 26th August 2024. Ukraine’s defense forces downed over 200 of the 236 Russian missiles and drones sent to destroy Ukraine. Russia used a variety of air-, land- and sea-based missiles. 

Ukraine continues to call for an expansion on the use of Western based systems to strike inside Russian territories in order to eliminate military targets—such as airfields—from which these attacks are launched. 

Since Ukraine began receiving ATACMS missiles, Russia has relocated 90% of its aircraft to military bases outside missile range, a new US intelligence assessment revealed. Since the aircrafts relocation Institute for the Study Of War (ISW) reported that there has been a reduction in Russian aviation activity. 

However, Ukraine continues to down Russian aircraft. For example, on, August 28th, reports came out about Ukraine shooting down a Russian Su-25 jet aircraft in the Kramatorsk area of the Donbas region. Figures are constantly changing. 

Ukraine has recently been striking some military targets and airfields where some aircraft may have been damaged or destroyed. In July, Ukraine struck the Saky airbase in temporarily occupied Crimea. In May 2024, Ukraine struck the Belbek military air base in Crimea with ATACMS ballistic missiles. In cases such as these, it can be difficult to establish what damage has exactly been done to their aircraft, as this information is something the Kremlin would not release into the public domain. 

However, in some cases, analysts assess damage via satellite imagery. Marinovka air base, located in Russia’s Volgograd region, was targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack. Satellite imagery is reportedly showing extensive damage to metal aircraft shelters on the flightline and to other parts of the base. Several of the hangers containing aircraft were very likely severely damaged in the strike. 

A video surfaced, reportedly from this airbase, where the person filming can be heard saying ‘that's it, the Oktyabrsky airfield has gone to hell! They completely ruined it, fucked it... The hangars. Everything went up in the air". He calls the Marinovka air base “Oktyabrsky” as it is located in the village of Oktyabrsk.

Ukrainian military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko evaluated the current state of Russia’s aircraft production. 

Kovalenko states that Russian production includes combat aircraft such as the Su-57, Su-35, Su-34, and training-combat Yak-130. The Su-30 fighters and MiG-29s are mostly repaired and upgraded. Kovalenko reported that the Russian Air Force received up to 30 combat and combat training aircraft annually during the full-scale war.

In the first half of 2024, the Russian Air Force received four Su-34 fighter bombers. These were produced in two batches from Russian aviation plants. Kovalenko noted that the mass media reported that the Russian Air Force received 163 Su-34 aircraft as of 2024, since the full-scale invasion began, but it was never mentioned how many of them are directly in service. 

According to verified sources, the Russian Air Force has lost 30 Su-34s, and according to unverified sources, they lost more than 60 of this aircraft type. 

According to Kovalenko, the Russian Air Force has been retouching its aircraft registration and registration numbers, making it difficult to establish whether these were a new batch or a previous batch presented as new to simulate a regular supply. 

He notes that in the first six months of 2024, the Russian Air Force acquired approximately ten new combat and combat training aircraft. By analyzing the capabilities of the Russian military industry, he estimates that in the second half of 2024, Russian forces will receive 8-10 aircraft of both the Su-34 and Su-35. He estimates that they will have 2-4 more of the Su-57. In 2024, the Russian Air Force will receive from 22 to 28 new aircraft of all types. 

Russia’s aircraft production is still small-scale and can not fully compensate for its losses against the Ukrainian military. 

Aircraft are difficult to completely destroy, but it is possible to damage the aircraft enough so that it is taken out of service. Should the US allow Ukraine to strike further into Russian territory, targeting their military bases, more aircraft could be damaged. Thus, Russia’s slow and small-scale production of aircraft would leave the Russian Air Force fleet seriously depleted.