Special Report

Every Plane in the Russian Air Force

sndr / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

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

43. Antonov An-26 (modified)
> Total planes: 1
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Reconnaissance

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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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

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

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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Kutredrig / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

31. Beriev Be-12
> Total planes: 6
> First flown: 1960
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Search and rescue

Konstantin von Wedelstaedt / Wikimedia Commons

30. Antonov An-140
> Total planes: 7
> First flown: 1997
> Category: Transport
> Role: Utility

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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

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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Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

24. Mikoyan MiG-29 (modified)
> Total planes: 16
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Multirole

James Jones / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

23. Sukhoi Su-27 (modified)
> Total planes: 16
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Multirole

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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Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

21. Ilyushin IL-38
> Total planes: 20
> First flown: 1967
> Category: Special mission
> Role: Maritime patrol

SDASM Archives / No known copyright restrictions / 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

Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

18. Antonov An-74
> Total planes: 29
> First flown: 1983
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical

andDraw / iStock via Getty Images

17. Tupolev Tu-95
> Total planes: 42
> First flown: 1952
> Category: Bomber
> Role: Patrol/attack

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Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

16. Tupolev Tu-134
> Total planes: 43
> First flown: 1963
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Airliner trainer

agnormark / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

15. Let L-410
> Total planes: 43
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Transport
> Role: Utility

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VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

14. Antonov An-12
> Total planes: 61
> First flown: 1957
> Category: Transport
> Role: Tactical/search and rescue

sdasmarchives / Flickr

13. Tupolev Tu-22M
> Total planes: 67
> First flown: 1969
> Category: Bomber
> Role: Strategic

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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Vladimir_Timofeev / iStock via Getty Images

11. Ilyushin IL-76
> Total planes: 109
> First flown: 1971
> Category: Transport
> Role: Strategic

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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Artyom_Anikeev / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

9. Sukhoi Su-34
> Total planes: 123
> First flown: 1990
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Strike

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

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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GroblerduPreez / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

4. Aero L-39 Albatros
> Total planes: 214
> First flown: 1968
> Category: Trainer
> Role: Advanced jet trainer

James Jones / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

3. Sukhoi Su-27
> Total planes: 227
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Multirole

powerline1 / iStock via Getty Images

2. Mikoyan MiG-29
> Total planes: 274
> First flown: 1977
> Category: Fighter
> Role: Multirole

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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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