Ukrainian sources claim that three accidents occurred on flights operated by Russia’s Pobeda Airlines in just six hours due to lack of certified maintenance.
The incidents included a fire in the main landing gear, a failure of the on-board inertial system, and a smell of burnt wiring in the toilet.
The Russian Ministry of Transport claims that airplane flight safety in Russia meets international standards but the country received a red flag in a flight safety audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Defence Intelligence of Ukraine claims that Russian civil aviation is “on the verge of collapse,” with a significant increase in accidents and a lack of proper maintenance and spare parts, citing what they claim is the results a cyber operation against Rosaviation that enabled them to obtain classified documents from the Russian Ministry of Transport. The Ukrainian claims include:
- The number of aircraft malfunctions in Russia tripled in the first 9 months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
- In January 2023, 185 air accidents occurred in Russian civil aviation, with the regional Sukhoi Superjet having the highest number of incidents.
- Russian aviation is particularly vulnerable in areas such as engines, landing gear, hydraulic systems, flaps, and software.
- Russia faces challenges in maintaining high-flying aircraft, leading to attempts to outsource maintenance to Iran without proper certification.
- Approximately 70pc of Russia’s foreign-made civilian aircraft have undergone uncertified repairs using off-brand spare parts.
- “Aviation cannibalism” has become prevalent in Russia, with over 35pc of the aircraft being dismantled to repair others.
- The lack of spare parts has affected the ability of Soviet An-2 aircraft to fly, as their Polish-made engines are no longer available due to sanctions.
- In January 2023, Airbus aircraft in Russia experienced 19 different malfunctions, including 17 cases of smoke in Aeroflot planes.
- Among the Boeing aircraft used in Russia, 33 technical failures in various systems were recorded.
- 1 in 7 Brazilian Embraer aircraft in Russia failed to meet the conditions of Russian operations.
