With some 4,000–4,500 aircraft the VKS has one of the largest air fleets in the world. Characteristic is the combination of modern 4++ generation aircraft (Su-35S, Su-34) with large numbers of older, partly non-serviceable ("U/S") platforms. The fleet is optimised for numbers and role specialisation rather than multirole flexibility.
| Aircraft type | Number (ind.) | Most capable |
|---|---|---|
| Bomber | 141 | Tu-160 Blackjack |
| Fighter | 420 | MiG-29 / MiG-31 |
| Fighter ground attack | 345 | Su-35S |
| Ground attack | 215 | Su-25SM |
| ELINT | 32 | Il-22M |
| AWACS | 22 | A-50 |
| Airborne command post (C2) | 6 | Il-86VKP |
| Tanker | 15 | Il-78M |
| Heavy transport | 122 | An-124 |
| Training | 198 | Yak-130 |
The figures above reflect the pre-war order of magnitude and are still useful as a ratio, but must be read against the war losses since 2022: over 350 aircraft visually confirmed lost (open source), including many Su-34, Su-30 and Su-35 and — critically — several A-50s.
The number of tankers (~15) and AWACS (~22, now smaller) is strikingly small for such a large fleet. That is no accident: air-to-air refuelling (AAR) and large-scale airborne combat control are not seen as necessary in Russian doctrine — battles are fought close to own territory and under ground control. See § 6.4.
The scarce A-50 "Mainstay" AWACS (only ± 9 serviceable) have been hit hard: in January and February 2024 two were shot down over the Sea of Azov, and in June 2025 two more were damaged in Operation Spiderweb. This cripples Russian airborne combat control at range — a strategic vulnerability.