A report released late last year estimated that the Russian military had lost close to 300 aircraft since the country first invaded Ukraine in February. That number has only increased in the following months. While a large number of the destroyed planes were drones, more than 100 were helicopters and fighter jets.
Even with these losses, Russia’s Air Force likely remains quite large, certainly larger than Ukraine’s, which had just 125 operable fixed-wing Russian-made warplanes at the beginning of this war. As a result, the U.S. considered supplying Ukraine with fighter jets, a move that would expand U.S. involvement in the war and further escalate tensions with Moscow. (This is how the U.S. is arming Ukraine.)
According to the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft, Russia has 2,465 Air Force planes, excluding helicopters and drones, led by nearly 1,200 fighter jets, nearly 400 transports, and 125 bombers. The largest number of Russian Air Force planes are 274 Sukhoi Su-24s and 251 Mikoyan MiG-29s fighter jets. Russia is also in the process of adding 820 upgraded aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-34Ms. (See how Many Russian planes are among the world’s fastest warplanes.)
To compile a list of every plane in Russia’s military, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft on the different types of aircraft currently in service in the Russian air force and navy. Aircraft are ordered by total count and then by year first flown. Information on total plane count and first flights also came from WDMMA and are from June 2022. Helicopters were excluded from this list.
The oldest of these aircraft is the Tupelov Tu-95 long-range bomber. Its first flight took place in 1952. Russia’s in-service military planes include 14 types of transport planes, 13 models used for special missions like reconnaissance and electronic warfare, and seven versions of fighter jets. Other types in manned warplanes include trainer jets, aerial refuelers, three types of bombers, and the Sukhoi Su-25 close-air support jet.
Here is every plane in Russia’s air force.
45. Tupolev Tu-134 (modified)
> Total planes: 1
> First flown: 1963
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Reconnaissance
[in-text-ad]
44. Tupolev Tu-154 (modified)
> Total planes: 1
> First flown: 1968
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Reconnaissance
43. Antonov An-26 (modified)
> Total planes: 1
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Reconnaissance
42. Ilyushin IL-76 (modified)
> Total planes: 1
> First flown: 1971
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Reconnaissance
[in-text-ad-2]
41. Ilyushin IL-78
> Total planes: 1
> First flown: 1983
> Category: Transport
> Role: Strategic
40. Tupolev Tu-214 (modified)
> Total planes: 2
> First flown: 1989
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Electronic warfare
[in-text-ad]
39. Ilyushin IL-18/IL-20/IL-22 (modified)
> Total planes: 3
> First flown: 1957
> Category: Transport/Trainer
> Role: Airliner/Utility
24/7 Wall St.
38. Ilyushin IL-80 (modified)
> Total planes: 3
> First flown: 1987
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Airborne command post
37. Antonov An-12 (modified)
> Total planes: 4
> First flown: 1957
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Electronic warfare
[in-text-ad-2]
36. Tupolev Tu-154
> Total planes: 4
> First flown: 1968
> Category: Transport
> Role: VIP/Airliner
35. Antonov An-124
> Total planes: 4
> First flown: 1982
> Category: Transport
> Role: Strategic
[in-text-ad]
34. Tupolev Tu-134
> Total planes: 5
> First flown: 1963
> Category: Transport
> Role: VIP/Airliner
33. Antonov An-22
> Total planes: 5
> First flown: 1965
> Category: Transport
> Role: Strategic
32. Antonov An-72
> Total planes: 5
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical
[in-text-ad-2]
31. Beriev Be-12
> Total planes: 6
> First flown: 1960
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Search and rescue
30. Antonov An-140
> Total planes: 7
> First flown: 1997
> Category: Transport
> Role: Utility
[in-text-ad]
29. Diamond DA42
> Total planes: 9
> First flown: 2002
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Flight trainer
28. Antonov An-30 (modified)
> Total planes: 15
> First flown: 1967
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Reconnaissance
27. Beriev A-50 (modified)
> Total planes: 15
> First flown: 1978
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Airborne early warning
[in-text-ad-2]
26. Antonov An-148
> Total planes: 15
> First flown: 2004
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical
25. Tupolev Tu-160
> Total planes: 16
> First flown: 1981
> Category: Bomber
> Role: Strategic
[in-text-ad]
24. Mikoyan MiG-29 (modified)
> Total planes: 16
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Multirole
23. Sukhoi Su-27 (modified)
> Total planes: 16
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Multirole
22. Ilyushin IL-78
> Total planes: 19
> First flown: 1983
> Category: Aerial refueling
> Role: Aerial Tankers / Refuelers
[in-text-ad-2]
21. Ilyushin IL-38
> Total planes: 20
> First flown: 1967
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Maritime patrol
20. Tupolev Tu-142
> Total planes: 24
> First flown: 1968
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Maritime patrol
[in-text-ad]
19. Ilyushin IL-18/IL-20/IL-22
> Total planes: 28
> First flown: 1957
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Electronic intelligence
18. Antonov An-74
> Total planes: 29
> First flown: 1983
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical
17. Tupolev Tu-95
> Total planes: 42
> First flown: 1952
> Category: Bomber
> Role: Patrol/attack
[in-text-ad-2]
16. Tupolev Tu-134
> Total planes: 43
> First flown: 1963
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Airliner trainer
15. Let L-410
> Total planes: 43
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Transport
> Role: Utility
[in-text-ad]
14. Antonov An-12
> Total planes: 61
> First flown: 1957
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical/search and rescue
13. Tupolev Tu-22M
> Total planes: 67
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Bomber
> Role: Strategic
12. Sukhoi Su-35
> Total planes: 78
> First flown: 1988
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Multirole
[in-text-ad-2]
11. Ilyushin IL-76
> Total planes: 109
> First flown: 1971
> Category: Transport
> Role: Strategic
10. Yakovlev Yak-130
> Total planes: 110
> First flown: 1996
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Advanced jet trainer
[in-text-ad]
9. Sukhoi Su-34
> Total planes: 123
> First flown: 1990
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Strike
8. Antonov An-26
> Total planes: 139
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical
7. Sukhoi Su-30
> Total planes: 145
> First flown: 1989
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Multirole
[in-text-ad-2]
6. Mikoyan MiG-31
> Total planes: 156
> First flown: 1975
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Interceptor
5. Sukhoi Su-25
> Total planes: 198
> First flown: 1975
> Category: Close-air support
> Role: Close-air support
[in-text-ad]
4. Aero L-39 Albatros
> Total planes: 214
> First flown: 1968
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Advanced jet trainer
3. Sukhoi Su-27
> Total planes: 227
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Multirole
2. Mikoyan MiG-29
> Total planes: 274
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Multirole
[in-text-ad-2]
1. Sukhoi Su-24
> Total planes: 296
> First flown: 1967
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Strike
Take This Retirement Quiz To Get Matched With An Advisor Now (Sponsored)
Are you ready for retirement? Planning for retirement can be overwhelming, that’s why it could be a good idea to speak to a fiduciary financial advisor about your goals today.
Start by taking this retirement quiz right here from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes. Smart Asset is now matching over 50,000 people a month.
Click here now to get started.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
