Russia sets a record for Il-76MD-90A production but fails to meet plans
In 2025, Russia’s military-industrial complex assembled seven new Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft — a record for the years of the full-scale aggression against Ukraine.
This was reported by Defense Express.
The figure exceeds previous years, when six aircraft were delivered annually, but still critically lags behind the Kremlin’s ambitious plans. The logistics of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) require a radical boost, yet reality remains far from the stated goals.
Back in 2021, Moscow announced plans to create four new Military Transport Aviation (VTA) regiments based on the Il-76 — 27 aircraft per regiment, or 108 aircraft in total. In practice, however, over the entire period of the war Russia has received only about 24 such transport aircraft.
Seven aircraft in 2025 are a drop in the ocean for such plans, where each regiment requires large-scale replenishment.
Currently, the VKS has three regiments equipped exclusively with Il-76MDs, plus two mixed regiments operating An-124s and Il-76s. Only one new unit — the 600th regiment — has begun forming, but there is no data on its completion.
Overall, around 110 Il-76 aircraft of various versions remain in service, which limits the ability to transport heavy equipment and airborne troops.
Production is constrained not only by resources but also by a shortage of personnel: in 2024, the Ulyanovsk Military Transport Aviation school was reopened to fill staffing gaps. Even with progress, Moscow will not come close to Soviet-era capacity — 385 aircraft in 1990.
Plans for 2026 and 2027 envisage 9–12 aircraft per year, but doubts remain.
Additionally, Russia has recorded its deepest staffing crisis in healthcare in more than 60 years.
