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
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44. Tupolev Tu-154 (modified)
> Total planes: 1
> First flown: 1968
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Reconnaissance
24/7 Wall St.
43. Antonov An-26 (modified)
> Total planes: 1
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Reconnaissance
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
42. Ilyushin IL-76 (modified)
> Total planes: 1
> First flown: 1971
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Reconnaissance
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Source: Nordroden / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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
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39. Ilyushin IL-18/IL-20/IL-22 (modified)
> Total planes: 3
> First flown: 1957
> Category: Transport/Trainer
> Role: Airliner/Utility
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
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36. Tupolev Tu-154
> Total planes: 4
> First flown: 1968
> Category: Transport
> Role: VIP/Airliner
Source: Matheus Obst / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
35. Antonov An-124
> Total planes: 4
> First flown: 1982
> Category: Transport
> Role: Strategic
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34. Tupolev Tu-134
> Total planes: 5
> First flown: 1963
> Category: Transport
> Role: VIP/Airliner
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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
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Source: Kutredrig / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
31. Beriev Be-12
> Total planes: 6
> First flown: 1960
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Search and rescue
Source: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt / Wikimedia Commons
30. Antonov An-140
> Total planes: 7
> First flown: 1997
> Category: Transport
> Role: Utility
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Source: Nimdamer / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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
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26. Antonov An-148
> Total planes: 15
> First flown: 2004
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical
Source: Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
25. Tupolev Tu-160
> Total planes: 16
> First flown: 1981
> Category: Bomber
> Role: Strategic
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
24. Mikoyan MiG-29 (modified)
> Total planes: 16
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Multirole
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Source: James Jones / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
23. Sukhoi Su-27 (modified)
> Total planes: 16
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Multirole
Source: Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
22. Ilyushin IL-78
> Total planes: 19
> First flown: 1983
> Category: Aerial refueling
> Role: Aerial Tankers / Refuelers
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Source: Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
21. Ilyushin IL-38
> Total planes: 20
> First flown: 1967
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Maritime patrol
Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr
20. Tupolev Tu-142
> Total planes: 24
> First flown: 1968
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Maritime patrol
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19. Ilyushin IL-18/IL-20/IL-22
> Total planes: 28
> First flown: 1957
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Electronic intelligence
Source: Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
18. Antonov An-74
> Total planes: 29
> First flown: 1983
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical
Source: andDraw / iStock via Getty Images
17. Tupolev Tu-95
> Total planes: 42
> First flown: 1952
> Category: Bomber
> Role: Patrol/attack
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Source: Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
16. Tupolev Tu-134
> Total planes: 43
> First flown: 1963
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Airliner trainer
Source: agnormark / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
15. Let L-410
> Total planes: 43
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Transport
> Role: Utility
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Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
14. Antonov An-12
> Total planes: 61
> First flown: 1957
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical/search and rescue
24/7 Wall St.
Source: sdasmarchives / Flickr
13. Tupolev Tu-22M
> Total planes: 67
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Bomber
> Role: Strategic
Source: Flight Video & Photo / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
12. Sukhoi Su-35
> Total planes: 78
> First flown: 1988
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Multirole
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Source: Vladimir_Timofeev / iStock via Getty Images
11. Ilyushin IL-76
> Total planes: 109
> First flown: 1971
> Category: Transport
> Role: Strategic
Source: Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
10. Yakovlev Yak-130
> Total planes: 110
> First flown: 1996
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Advanced jet trainer
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Source: Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
9. Sukhoi Su-34
> Total planes: 123
> First flown: 1990
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Strike
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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
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6. Mikoyan MiG-31
> Total planes: 156
> First flown: 1975
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Interceptor
Source: Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
5. Sukhoi Su-25
> Total planes: 198
> First flown: 1975
> Category: Close-air support
> Role: Close-air support
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Source: GroblerduPreez / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
4. Aero L-39 Albatros
> Total planes: 214
> First flown: 1968
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Advanced jet trainer
24/7 Wall St.Source: James Jones / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
3. Sukhoi Su-27
> Total planes: 227
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Multirole
Source: powerline1 / iStock via Getty Images
2. Mikoyan MiG-29
> Total planes: 274
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Multirole
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Kharkhan_Oleg / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
1. Sukhoi Su-24
> Total planes: 296
> First flown: 1967
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Strike
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