Ukraine's aerial tactics challenge Russia's Su‑34 fleet sustainability
According to the latest data published by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia has lost over 340 various military aircraft in the ongoing war. Among the most frequently used and lost are the Su-34 tactical bombers. In February alone, the Ukrainians managed to shoot down 10 such aircraft, marking the best result in several months. How many more successful attacks would they need to carry out to completely deplete Russia of this weapon?
How many Su-34s do the Russians have?
“By 2022, the Russian Federation had produced about 140 units of Su-34. Some of them were exported, others lost in crashes. At the beginning of the intense phase of the conflict, they had 105 of these aircraft. We have already shot down 37. Thus, they are left with about 68-72 units,” Konstantin Kryvolap was quoted by the Unian agency.
The Ukrainian noted that the beginning of this year was exceptionally successful for his countrymen. Over the past few weeks, Russian aircraft losses exceeded their ability to replenish such equipment. However, maintaining this situation would be challenging. Analysts at the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimate that the Russian command has only temporarily changed tactics and accepted the risk of greater losses, counting on the benefits to outweigh them and to be able to push the front line further into Ukraine.
The core of Russian aviation
In the pages of the American magazine "Forbes", an analysis was published which indicates that since the start of the year, each day Su-34 (escorted by Su-35) performed even over a hundred combat flights. The bane of the Ukrainians are primarily the bombs dropped from them, KABs (guided aerial bombs), whose weight can reach up to about 1,500 kg (although usually those used by the Russians are smaller, about 500 kg). Ukrainian military reports that the number of such flights has slightly decreased only after the destruction of a Russian long-range early warning aircraft A-50.
The Su-34 is the core of Russian aviation. Units measuring over 23 metres in length are capable of carrying up to 8 tonnes of armament on 12 built-in points. They are powered by two AL-31F M1 engines, thanks to which Su-34 pilots can accelerate them to even around 1,900 km/h. The maximum range of these Russian tactical bombers is about 4,000 km.
