New Su-35S Fighters Delivered to Russian Military Despite Sanctions

EN UK EN UK AVIATION WEAPONS RUSSIA New Su-35S Fighters Delivered to Russian Military Despite Sanctions The jet’s manufacturer said the year marked “a record-breaking year for combat aircraft production” – despite Western sanctions amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. by Leo Chiu | Dec. 25, 2025, 10:54 am Listen to this article This handout picture provided by the Russian defence corporation Rostec on Nov. 24, 2023 shows a Sukhoi Su-35S fighter jet at the grounds of an aviation firm in the far-eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. (Photo by Handout / Russian defence corporation Rostec / AFP) CONTENT Faltering Western sanctions? Share Flip Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said it has delivered a new batch of Su-35S multirole fighters to the Russian military in a Christmas update. It did not specify the exact timing or the number of jets delivered. JOIN US ON TELEGRAM Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), part of the Rostec State Corporation, has manufactured and delivered the next batch of Su-35S multirole fighters to the Russian Ministry of Defense,” the UAC wrote in a press release, adding that the delivery marked the last of 2025. “The aircraft have completed a series of required ground and flight factory tests and have been delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces.” The Su-35S (NATO reporting name: Flanker-E) is a Russian multirole fighter jet, an upgraded version of the Su-27 Flanker developed in the 1980s and in service since 2014. Advertisement The last known delivery – the sixth batch of 2025 – took place in November, according to a Russian aviation outlet, suggesting the latest shipment likely marks the seventh batch this year. The outlet estimated that 15 to 18 Su-35S jets were delivered at the time, while total deliveries in 2024 amounted to 15 aircraft across four batches. In the UAC press release, a Su-35S pilot was quoted as saying the jet is “very comfortable, ergonomic, and highly reliable,” and that it has “performed well” during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s state-owned arms conglomerate Rostec said 2025 has been “a record-breaking year for combat aircraft production,” with the jet’s planned production “fully met.” OTHER TOPICS OF INTEREST From ‘Ukraine Will Cease to Exist’ to Burning Dog Owners: Russian Officials’ Most Bizarre Quotes in 2025 From threats to erase Ukraine to calls to “burn dog owners,” Russian officials’ sometimes bizarre rhetoric might shed light on the Kremlin’s mindset as peace talks unfold. Russia reportedly licensed Iran to build the Su-35S jets as part of a bilateral military exchange. In September, the UAC announced the delivery of a new batch of Su-34 (NATO: Fullback) fighter-bombers to the Russian military as part of an earlier state defense contract. UAC is part of Russia’s state arms conglomerate Rostec and the key manufacturer of Russian warplanes, including the latest generation Su-57 multirole fighter. Advertisement Faltering Western sanctions? Both the Su-34 and Su-35S were mentioned in a report questioning the effectiveness of Western sanctions, citing foreign-made electronics found in the two jets. A paper penned by the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), released in mid-2025, examined the wreckage of downed Russian Su-34s and Su-35Ss with the help of the Ukrainian Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO), an NGO. The IPHR research traced the origins of 1,115 of 1,119 recovered foreign electronic components from the aircraft to 141 companies across the globe – the majority based in the US, with others in Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. The paper describes the components as “vital” to advanced functions on the aircraft as they “[enable] precise targeting, communications, and navigation systems.” The 221 foreign components found in Su-34s came from 59 companies in eight countries, mainly from the US, followed by Japan, the EU, then Switzerland, Taiwan, and South Korea. In contrast, a significantly larger number of components were traced on the Su-35S air superiority fighters – 889 components from 138 companies. Most components also came from the US, with some, albeit in a small percentage, coming from China. Advertisement While many of the components named are subject to export control, the paper asserts that Russia has been circumventing the sanctions by purchasing them through shell companies to conceal the ultimate destination. The report also accuses the West of its collective failure to enforce sanctions, which allowed the components to continuously flow into Russia, enabling the planes to drop bombs and fire missiles against civilian targets in Ukraine. 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