Putin's Airplane Puzzle: How Russia Creatively Avoids Sanctions!

Putin's Airplane Puzzle: How Russia Creatively Avoids Sanctions!

Russia's airline industry faces growing challenges due to Western sanctions imposed since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. These sanctions prohibit the export of aircraft parts to Russia, causing significant shortages in the maintenance and operation of Russian aircraft. Russian officials warn of resource constraints, particularly at the National Wealth Fund (NWF), and the impact is particularly felt in the steel and aviation sectors.

An investigation by Finnish broadcaster Yle has found that Russia has imported aircraft parts worth at least one billion euros since 2022. These components mainly come from the western manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. Russia has set up a network of around 360 companies to circumvent these sanctions, ensuring the supply of basic cabin supplies as well as critical components such as engines and radar systems. Some of these parts could even have military use.

Aircraft fleet and security risks

Boeing and Airbus emphasize in their statements that they comply with all applicable laws and sanctions. Nevertheless, reports of malfunctions in Russian aircraft have been increasing, especially since the winter of 2024. Experts warn that commercial aircraft cannot remain airworthy without certified parts. In the current situation, many Russian airlines are in danger of bankruptcy. 80% of the fleet of the 20 largest Russian airlines is foreign, and many of these aircraft need urgent maintenance that cannot be carried out abroad due to sanctions.

Vladimir Putin announced in 2022 that he would equip Russian airlines with domestic parts by 2030 and build around 1,036 new passenger aircraft. But two years later, the original target has been significantly reduced due to a lack of Western parts and personnel. Many airlines could face serious problems as early as 2025. Before the Ukraine war, most Russian airlines were registered abroad. After the start of the war, a decree from Putin allowed foreign aircraft to be re-registered under Russian airlines. Around 160 aircraft have been bought back by major airlines such as Aeroflot, while around 200 leased aircraft remain in the country illegally.

production and investments

In the spring of 2025, Russia made attempts to persuade the US government to lift aviation sanctions. However, these efforts had no significant success. The Russian government is now supporting the airline industry with state subsidies and the switch to domestic flights so that operations can be maintained. The loss of foreign routes is forcing airlines to take cost-cutting measures.

In addition to the challenges posed by sanctions, the Russian government plans to invest around 2.5 billion euros in the production of new passenger aircraft by 2030. There are also plans to reduce engine production from 192 to 128 units. Demographic changes and a loss of workers due to the war also lead to an acute labor shortage.

A serious development is the increase in aviation accidents due to machine failures; this year the number increased by 30% compared to last year. This situation highlights the growing challenges facing the Russian airline industry amid an increasingly complex geopolitical context.

Overall, the combination of Western sanctions and dependence on imported aircraft parts is a critical challenge for Russia's aviation industry that is unlikely to be resolved in the short term. fr.de reports that… and merkur.de describes that….