At least 8 Russian Aircraft Damaged in Aviation Incidents Over Three Weeks

At least six Russian aircraft and two helicopters were damaged in aviation incidents and technical failures between December 29, 2025, and January 18, 2026.

Militarnyi reported on this, citing an analysis of a restricted Russian document titled ‘Flight Safety Information,’ published by the OsintFlow team.

According to OsintFlow, the incidents occurred across numerous airfields and airbases, including Plesetsk, Severny, Orenburg-2, Engels, Marinovka, Zernograd, Baltimore, Dzhankoy, Millerovo, Akhtubinsk, Morozovsk, Monchegorsk, and others.

Overall, the document describes 24 incidents. The vast majority are related to technical malfunctions or in-flight failures. In many cases, especially those involving fighter aircraft, the consequences of the incidents are not disclosed.

In total, the document lists 8 cases in which Russian aircraft were confirmed to have sustained damage:

• 1.3 Il-76MD-M, tail number 76714 – during the pre-landing descent, the stabilizer jammed; the cause of the aircraft damage is under investigation.
• 2.8 MiG-29K, tail number 37 – during descent, cracking occurred in the glazing of the forward canopy windshield.
• 2.10 MiG-31BM, tail number 51 – during landing, the outer tire of the right main landing gear burst.
• 2.11 Su-35S, tail number 59 – while taxiing, the right wingtip struck a gate, damaging the fairing of the L-265 Khibiny electronic warfare system transmitter.
• 2.12 Tu-134A, tail number 6591 – at the 13th minute of flight, the captain’s windshield developed cracks.
• 2.18 Su-35S, tail number 57 – a ‘bang’ occurred near the right engine; a ground inspection revealed destruction of the flexible shaft connecting the external accessory gearbox to the accessory gearbox of the right engine.
• 2.2 Ka-27PS, tail number 32 – a bird strike into the left engine; post-flight inspection revealed damage to the inlet guide vanes and the 1st–2nd stages of the left engine compressor.
• 2.6 Mi-8, tail number 88 – during approach to land at Dzhankoy airfield, the crew heard two ‘bangs’ near the right side of the tail boom. During the approach, the crew detected a failure of yaw control; landing was completed on the third attempt, using a fixed-wing style approach. On the ground, multiple damages to the right side were found, including a through hole in the tail boom measuring 20×30 cm, severed control cables, and a broken HF radio cable. Inside the cargo cabin, a flat fragment measuring 21×25 cm was found, which had pierced the right sliding door, damaged the SLG-300 mount, and struck the armored plate of the cockpit door.

A particularly notable trend in the document is the large number of engine failures across different types of aircraft.

Most often, these failures are associated with the warning ‘METAL PARTICLES IN OIL.’ As OsintFlow notes, in Russian regulatory documents this is treated as a sign of metallic debris appearing in the engine or gearbox oil system.

Such an event is interpreted as an indicator of an abnormal technical condition of the unit, potentially linked to increased wear or the early stages of damage to friction components.

It is important to note that these types of failures are recorded across various Russian aircraft, including both combat and military transport aviation. This may point to a systemic issue with maintenance, repair, and the production of aircraft engines in Russia.

Overall, the document mentions 9 cases of engine failures, accounting for more than one-third of all reported aviation incidents:

• 1.4 Il-76MD, tail number 78803 – the METAL PARTICLES IN OIL warning activated for engine No. 3; the engine was shut down; landing was carried out at an alternate airfield on three operating engines; the cause of the damage is under investigation.
• 1.5 Il-76M, tail number 86857 – the METAL PARTICLES IN OIL warning activated for engine No. 3; the engine was shut down; the crew carried out an approach and landing at the departure airfield; the cause of the damage is under investigation.
• 2.1 Su-34, tail number 54 – the LOW OIL PRESSURE IN RIGHT ENGINE warning; the right engine was shut down; the crew landed at Engels airfield with one engine operating.
• 2.3 Su-34, tail number 14 – the LOW OIL PRESSURE IN RIGHT ENGINE warning ; the right engine was shut down; landing was carried out at the departure airfield with one operating engine.
• 2.9 Su-30SM2, tail number 91 – the METAL PARTICLES IN OIL OF RIGHT ENGINE warning; the engine was shut down; landing was carried out at Millerovo airfield with one operating engine (January 4, 2026).
• 2.13 Su-30SM2, tail number 91 – the METAL PARTICLES IN OIL OF RIGHT ENGINE warning; the engine was shut down; landing was carried out at Millerovo airbase with one operating engine (January 9, 2026).
• 2.14 Su-30SM, tail number 78 – a ‘bang’ occurred in the engine area; the right engine was shut down; approach and landing were carried out.
• 2.15 Su-34, tail number 48 — the LOW OIL PRESSURE IN LEFT ENGINE warning; the engine was shut down; landing was carried out at Borisoglebsk airbase.
• 2.19 Su-34M, tail number 55 – the LOW OIL PRESSURE IN RIGHT ENGINE warning; the engine was shut down; approach and landing were carried out at Morozovsk airbase with one operating engine.

Problems with the technical condition – particularly with aircraft engines – have previously been reported in Russia’s MiG-31 fleet, leading to numerous incidents and aircraft losses.

Since the beginning of 2022, at least six MiG-31 aircraft are known to have been lost as a result of aviation incidents. The most recent loss was reported in October 2025. At that time, during the approach to landing after a routine training flight, the fighter’s landing gear deployment system failed. The uncontrolled MiG-31 crashed into a forested area in the Chaplyginsky district of Russia’s Lipetsk region.