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Russia’s Warplanes Are Burning, Crashing, and Disappearing—13 Lost in Five Weeks
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russia has reportedly lost approximately 13 military aircraft in just five weeks, including Su-34 fighter-bombers, Su-30SM fighters, a Tu-95MS strategic bomber, and a Su-57 stealth fighter, following Ukrainian strikes on Russian airbases and a series of aviation accidents.
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According to Defence Blog on October 31, Ukrainian open-source monitoring project Oko Gora recorded 11 Russian combat aircraft and one helicopter lost in October, with two additional Su-34 bombers damaged. Including a Tu-95MS that crashed on September 29, the reported losses reached approximately 13 aircraft since late September.
The Su-34 fighter-bomber accounted for the largest share of reported losses. Russian forces regularly use these aircraft to launch guided glide bombs against Ukrainian military positions and cities.
On October 4, Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) drones reportedly struck a Su-34 and a Su-35 fighter at Khanskaya airbase in Russia’s Republic of Adygea, approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Another attack followed on October 14–15, when Ukrainian Neptune cruise missiles targeted Borisoglebsk airbase in Russia’s Voronezh region. Satellite imagery reportedly confirmed four Su-34 bombers destroyed and two others severely damaged.
On October 29, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck Marinovka airbase in the Volgograd region with Neptune missiles, destroying another two Su-34 aircraft. In total, seven Su-34 bombers were reportedly destroyed during October, while two more sustained damage.
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia had approximately 140 Su-34 aircraft in service as of October 22. Russian manufacturers delivered 22 new aircraft of this type between October 2025 and October 2026, meaning the seven reported losses in October alone amounted to nearly one-third of the previous year’s deliveries.
However, Ukrainian strikes were not the only cause of Russia’s aviation losses. As Defence Blog reported, a Tu-95MS strategic bomber crashed during takeoff near Ukrainka airbase in Russia’s Amur region on September 29, killing six of its seven crew members. The aircraft, which Russia uses to launch Kh-101 cruise missiles against Ukraine, is no longer in production.
On October 21, a Su-30SM fighter crashed during a training flight in Russia’s Kaliningrad region. Russian authorities said both crew members ejected. A second Su-30SM was reportedly lost the same day, although Moscow has not officially confirmed that incident.
One of the most significant reported losses involved Russia’s fifth-generation Su-57 stealth fighter. On October 29, a Su-57 reportedly caught fire during engine startup at Akhtubinsk airbase in the Astrakhan region, one of Russia’s principal military aviation testing facilities.
Satellite imagery published by Ukrainian open-source researchers showed a burn mark at the airfield, although Russian authorities have not confirmed the aircraft’s destruction.
The reported losses occurred across a wide geographical area, from Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea to its Far Eastern regions.
For context, the open-source intelligence project Oryx has visually documented 205 Russian military aircraft destroyed or damaged since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to figures cited by Defence Blog. The Su-34 accounted for 48 of those documented cases.
The losses also extended to Russian helicopters. On October 30, Ukraine’s Third Assault Brigade reported destroying a Russian Mi-8 transport helicopter in the Luhansk region using two Hornet attack drones after the aircraft landed.
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-77e18f287f0bbcc545186ab10eb57ca1.png "Satellite view of Russia’s Kamensky Combine rocket fuel plant in the Rostov region, targeted by Ukrainian Neptune missiles and drones on October 31, 2026. (Source: General Staff of Ukraine)")
-17a43d18d293105006e16b2594a7eb31.jpeg "Residential buildings in darkness during a widespread power outage in Russia’s Kaliningrad region, October 31, 2026. (Photo: Open source)")