In the aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western sanctions have severely impacted Russia's aviation industry. Reports from Kommersant and Simple Flying highlight significant challenges faced by Russian civil aviation due to these sanctions. The recent dismissals of the heads of Yakovlev and Tupolev underscore the struggles within the sector, with civil aviation now competing for resources against military needs.
Yakovlev, responsible for producing MC-21 and SJ-100 aircraft, has not delivered any new models since sanctions began. A Russian audit cited by Kommersant reveals that many components for passenger aircraft are either unavailable or allocated to defense enterprises. "It turned out that a number of components [for passenger aircraft] are not produced in the Russian Federation or are used by defense enterprises," according to Kommersant.
The audit also criticized existing financing schemes as "largely dysfunctional." Despite management changes, structural issues remain unresolved. Former director Andrei Boginsky reportedly addressed some problems but could not alter production forecasts.