Russia unveils Su‑34 fleet: Strength or illusion?
The Rostec Corporation announced the delivery of new Su-34 aircraft to the Russian military. Although a video confirming this was posted on social media, the shipment size was not disclosed. It is likely that the Russians deliberately concealed this information again.
The new Su-34s were handed over to the Russian military at the airport in Novosibirsk, which belongs to the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a company under the Rostec conglomerate. According to some observers of the war in Ukraine, the Russians are once again trying to convince the world of their strength, while the delivery they presented is likely just two aircraft.
Russians received a batch of Su-34s
As the Ukrainian portal Militarnyj noted, this situation is indicated by the analysis of video materials and photos that were made public. The lack of snow in the video shared by the Russians raises additional doubts, which may suggest it was recorded not in November but a bit earlier (since it is already winter in Novosibirsk). Militarnyj suggests that the publication might, therefore, have purely propaganda purposes.
The Ukrainian portal recalls that since the beginning of 2024, the Russian military has received several batches of Su-34s, but they collectively account for only nine such aircraft. Similarly, deliveries of other aircraft have been modest, as in 2024, the Russian army received only six Su-35S and Su-35SM2, and no more than three Su-57s in total.
The core of Russian Air Force
The Su-34 is an important aircraft for the Russians and is sometimes referred to as the backbone of the Russian Air Force. It is a tactical bomber developed in the 1990s, measuring over 23 metres in length. It has two AL-31F M1 engines, enabling it to reach speeds of up to 1,900 km/h.
An important feature of this aircraft is its armament capacity. It is equipped with a GS-30-1 aircraft cannon of 30 mm as standard, and on 12 pylons, the Su-34 can carry up to 8,000 kg of additional armaments. These include rockets, cruise missiles, and various types of aerial bombs. During the war in Ukraine, it serves the Russians, among other things, to carry and drop KABs (glide bombs), which pose such a significant threat that they have been called the Russians' "miracle weapon".
