Russia accelerates Il-76 production but falls short of planned targets
Photo: Il-76 aircraft production (Defence Express)
Russia’s defense industry produced seven new Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft in 2025, marking a record since the start of the full-scale war, according to Defense Express.
The outlet notes that this figure is slightly higher than in the previous two years, when Russia delivered six such transport aircraft annually, but still far below what would be required to implement the Kremlin’s long-term plans to strengthen the logistical capabilities of its military transport aviation.
Back in 2021, Russia announced plans to form four new military transport aviation regiments partly based on the Il-76 platform, with each regiment expected to operate 27 aircraft, for a total of 108 planes.
However, actual production remains well short of these ambitions. Only seven aircraft were delivered over the past year, and total deliveries of this type since the start of the war amount to roughly 24 aircraft.
At present, the Russian Aerospace Forces operate three regiments equipped with Il-76MD aircraft, as well as two mixed regiments flying An-124-100 and Il-76 aircraft. Moscow has announced the formation of just one new unit, the 600th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, but there is no confirmation that it has been fully established.
Overall, Russia’s fleet includes around 110 Il-76 aircraft of various modifications.
Beyond hardware constraints, expansion of military transport aviation is also hindered by a shortage of trained personnel. Only in 2024 did Russia report the reopening of the Ulyanovsk Military Transport Aviation School, underscoring existing staffing limitations.
Even with some progress in producing the Il-76MD-90A, the publication concludes that Moscow is unlikely to restore the scale of Soviet-era military transport aviation, which in 1990 operated about 385 aircraft of this type.
Russia's drone production plans
By way of context, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi has said that Russia plans to significantly increase drone production, aiming to launch up to 1,000 drones per day against Ukraine by 2026.
In September, The New York Times reported that Russia was then capable of producing around 30,000 Shahed-type attack drones per year, noting that this figure could double by 2026. In the same month, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said Russia was ramping up production of fiber-optic FPV drones for use in Ukraine, with the head of the Ushkuinik research and production center, Oleksii Chadaiev, claiming output of more than 50,000 such drones.
