Main points
- Russia is expanding the Kazan aircraft plant, which makes strategic bombers, to offset losses from Western sanctions.
- The large-scale modernization of the plant, which will cost about 90 billion rubles, is planned to be completed by the end of 2026, but the actual production rate remains low due to a lack of personnel and a shortage of imported components.
- The plant's civilian business is also facing difficulties; for example, out of 23 ordered Tu-214s, only one has been completed, which has caused dissatisfaction among customers such as Aeroflot.
Russia wants to increase aircraft production / Photo from open sources
Russia is rapidly expanding the Kazan Aviation Plant, a key enterprise producing strategic bombers that are being used in the war against Ukraine.
The Kremlin is seeking to compensate for losses from Western sanctions and increase domestic production of aircraft for the military and civil aviation, 24 Kanal reports, citing Yle.
Russia expands aircraft plant in Kazan
Satellite images show the construction of new hangars with a total area of almost 19 thousand square meters, including one 320 meters long.
These works are part of a large-scale modernization of the enterprise, which will cost almost 90 billion rubles, and is planned to be completed no earlier than the end of 2026. Its goal is to compensate for losses due to Western sanctions and to provide the army and civil aviation in conditions of isolation.
The Kazan aircraft plant remains the only manufacturer of the Tu-160M and Tu-160M2 strategic aircraft. The modernization of the Tu-22M3 is also underway here. Ukraine has repeatedly tried to destroy aircraft from this plant with drones deep behind enemy lines.
However, despite the active expansion, the actual production rates remain low: in 2024, the Russian command received only a few modernized aircraft. The reasons are a shortage of personnel, a shortage of imported components and problems with the organization of production.
The civil sector is also stalling: of the 23 ordered Tu-214s, only one has actually been completed. Because of the delays, even state-owned Aeroflot has threatened to cancel contracts, although experts believe that the likelihood of such a move is minimal – the state funds already invested are too large.
