The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service has announced that Russia’s national carrier, Aeroflot, plans to dismantle eight Boeing cargo aircraft to be used for civil aircraft maintenance. This marks the first time in Russia that a passenger airline has dismantled cargo aircraft for spare parts.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Aeroflot will acquire the Boeing aircraft from Volga-Dnepr Airlines under a contract worth approximately $130 million. Reports indicate that the planes will serve as a source of components for the maintenance and repair of the existing passenger fleet.
Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has faced a severe crisis in civil aviation due to Western sanctions. With the sale of new aircraft and spare parts halted, the number of roughly 1,800 foreign-built aircraft in the country has rapidly declined.
The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service predicts that Russia’s civil aviation fleet could shrink by more than half by 2026. Although Russian airlines have been trying to source parts through so-called “grey market” channels to bypass sanctions, the quality and reliability of these parts remain highly questionable.
Earlier reports suggest that as of 2025, Russia has managed to complete only one of the 15 domestically produced aircraft it planned to build. Experts warn that this situation jeopardises the country’s ambitions for an independent civil aviation industry.
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