Russia strengthens air fleet with new Su‑34 aircraft amid ongoing losses

Russian air forces were reinforced with new Su-34 aircraft in the first days of September 2024. The Russian state corporation United Aircraft Corporation reported that the machines are completely new – newly manufactured equipment has been delivered to the army.

The manufacturer does not indicate the size of the latest batch of Su-34s delivered to the Russian armed forces, but according to the Bulgarian Military portal, it is two units. This number matches previous deliveries of these aircraft, as the Russians have recently received two machines in each batch.

Notably, the recently delivered Su-34s are new and were delivered under the current production schedule. This indicates that the Russians maintain the production capabilities of these valuable aircraft and, according to the latest data, are currently capable of producing 8-10 such machines, which threaten the recently delivered F-16s to Ukraine.

However, it is worth noting that while the Russian Federation continues to deliver new machines to soldiers, subsequent batches are a drop in the ocean of needs. The previous delivery of Su-34 fighter-bombers took place in June of this year, while the one before that was in April.

However, the Ukrainians constantly eliminate such machines. Previously, Wirtualna Polska journalist Przemysław Juraszek calculated that during an attack on the Marinovka base in Russia (in the last weeks of August this year) probably six Su-34 aircraft were eliminated, which is as many as the Russian Federation delivers in three batches spread over six months.

"The Su-34 aircraft delivered to the Russian armed forces are known for their excellent flight characteristics. They are highly sought after because they use high-precision ammunition with a universal planning module, which is highly effective in the air defence zone. The corporation is aware of the urgent need and commits to delivering the Su-34 on time," commented Vladimir Artyakov, Deputy General Director of Rostec.

Let us recall that the Su-34 fighter-bomber is a truly versatile machine. It can carry weapons with a total weight of almost 8,200 kg on 12 pylons under the fuselage. These weapons can include nuclear weapons, while the basic armament is the standard 30 mm GSh-30-1 aircraft cannon.

The Su-34 multifunctional tactical bombers can accelerate to a speed of 1,900 km/h, reaching an altitude of 10.9 km. Such high performance is thanks to the AL-31F M1 turbojet engines. The aircraft's operational range reaches 4,000 km. The Su-34 can cover this distance without additional refuelling in the air.