russia is returning old aircraft to service due to an acute shortage of aircraft

This is a necessary step given the reduction in the aircraft fleet and the lack of opportunities for its full-scale renewal.

As part of the renewal programme, which has been extended until 2027, 10 of the 12 planned aircraft have already been returned to service, including the Tu-204/214, Il-96 and An-148. In 2026–2027, it is planned to transfer two more refurbished Tu-204s, despite their moral and technical obsolescence.

At the same time, russian airlines are forced to recommission foreign aircraft. In particular, Rossiya Airlines is increasing its fleet of Boeing 747s, inherited after the bankruptcy of Transaero. Aircraft that are over 20 years old are being returned to service after many years of storage, mainly due to a lack of alternative equipment.

As of October 2025, the largest russian airlines had 1,135 aircraft in their fleets, of which 1,088 were in operation. At the same time, 67% of the fleet consists of foreign-made aircraft, the maintenance of which is complicated by sanctions and a shortage of spare parts.

The crisis is particularly acute in cargo aviation: air transport cargo turnover fell from 9.2 billion tonne-kilometres in 2021 to 1.9 billion in 2024.

Source: Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine