Russia is facing systemic problems with the maintenance of Antonov aircraft
The Russian Federation is facing critical difficulties in maintaining the technical condition of its core military transport and patrol aircraft fleet.
According to Defense Express, a significant portion of the An-series aircraft fleet in service with the aggressor’s security forces requires urgent repairs that cannot be carried out.
According to data, as of August 2025, the aviation units of the so-called “National Guard” of the Russian Federation and the FSB operated up to 368 aircraft of the An-12, An-26, and An-72 types.
However, of this number, at least 143 aircraft are in poor condition, and the occupiers are unable to restore them to operational status.
The main reason for the decline of the transport fleet was the lack of necessary production capacity in Russia to manufacture components for the Ukrainian-designed Antonov aircraft.
Enterprises within the Russian military-industrial complex proved unable to fulfill their contractual obligations regarding aircraft maintenance within the established deadlines.
Information about the critical state of the aviation sector became public as a result of a massive leak of internal documentation.
This refers to correspondence between the company “Aviaremont” and the state corporation “Rostec,” in which the Russian Federation’s inability to maintain these aircraft in working order is acknowledged.
The situation for the Russian leadership is complicated by the fact that the current regulatory framework of the Russian Federation provides for severe criminal liability for “failure to fulfill a defense contract.”
This creates additional tension within the aggressor country’s defense-industrial complex, where company executives now face the threat of imprisonment.
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