Russia Steps Up Production of Improved Su-34 ‘Fullback’ Bombers

Russia’s Aerospace Forces received their second batch of newly produced Su-34 (NATO: Fullback) fighter-bombers this year on Wednesday, Oct. 7, according to the manufacturer the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), part of the Rostec state-owned consortium.“The timely fulfilment of this state defense contract is a key task of the UAC. Our workforce carries out this important job with honor,” UAC CEO Vadim Badekha was quoted as saying.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.He added that the two batches, the earlier delivered in July, would not be the last this year, saying, “These aircraft are the basic strike power of our frontline aviation and demonstrate their efficiency in real combat conditions.”The numbers of aircraft provided under the latest consignment were not declared by the Russian authorities, but defense analyst Guy Plopsky, posting on X, said it could be as many as four.Open-source assessments suggest that production of the Su-34, has almost doubled since the start of the 2022 full-scale invasion, with annual output likely to reach around 30 aircraft this year.Defence Blog said UAC likely delivered 18 Su-34s throughout 2025 to the Russian military, while a Russian aviation outlet noted that the year’s deliveries consisted of seven batches in total.“Undisputed best seller”The Su-34 is built at the Chkalov Aviation Plant in Novosibirsk. The latest version, designated Su-34M/NVO, includes uprated avionics, electronic warfare suites, including the Khibiny electronic countermeasures system and sensor pods linked to its increased use of UPMK glide bombs. Other Topics of Interest Trump May Leave 100,000 Ukrainians in US Immigration Limbo Rather Than Renew Protections A six-month reprieve could avert deportations, but Ukrainians may face uncertainty over their right to work and study in the US. Numerous videos on pro-Kremlin social media show Su-34s launching bombs, including the “ODAB-500,” a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) steerable glide bomb; the “FAB-3000,” a 3,000-kilogram (6,600-pound) bomb; others fitted with thermobaric warheads; and a range of air-to-surface missiles.Rostec claims the Su-34, which some experts say was the only post-Soviet aircraft built primarily for Russian forces’ own use rather than export, is the “undisputed best seller in the world of combat aviation.”“The aircraft is valued and respected by the military for its versatility, powerful armament, and high flight and technical performance,” the company wrote.In the UAC announcement published to coincide with the latest delivery, Badekha said production is continuing as normal.“We are maintaining a high pace of production of combat aircraft, fulfilling our obligations to the Russian defense ministry. Our employees at the plants are constantly refining production processes to ensure the necessary volume of aircraft production,” he said.Potential reliance on foreign componentsA July 2025 analysis by the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) suggests the Su-34 relies heavily on foreign components, based on wreckage found in Ukraine.Based on the wreckage salvaged in Ukraine, researchers identified 221 foreign electronic components from the aircraft, sourced from 59 companies in eight countries, primarily the US, followed by Japan, the EU, Switzerland, Taiwan and South Korea.It is unclear how many foreign components went into the latest batch delivered to the Russian military.The West begs to differAccording to the UAC, Russian pilots consider the Su-34 to be “a well-developed aviation system with a good reserve for the future,” with “a wide range of weapons with the ability to employ advanced strike systems,” based on its performance in combat operations in the war in Ukraine.However, many Western analysts disagree. The Hush-Kit aviation Substack commented in March this year that: “If it quacks like a dead duck and dies like a dead duck, then maybe it is a dead duck.”The article calls the Su-34 “the Worst Warplane of the 21st Century” and explains in detail why, during the war in Ukraine, it has “a woeful, unparalleled 25% loss rate.”While the article attributes much of this to technical shortcomings in the aircraft’s design, weapons and sensor suites, it also points to its aircrew, who “often use predictable, high-altitude, straight-in attack profiles, with a lack of, or ineffective use of its technology.”Kyiv has frequently targeted Russia’s Su-34s since 2022.A July 2025 operation reportedly took four Su-34s out of action in Volgograd, while another aircraft was lost in a training flight crash. In a separate operation in June, Ukrainian forces also damaged an unspecified number of Su-34s.In late March 2026, a Su-34 was shot down over the battlefield, according to defense outlet Militarnyi – two months after Ukraine reportedly downed two Su-34s on the same day. On Aug. 20, the Ukrainian military struck the Russian Akhtubinsk military airfield in the Astrakhan region, damaging a Su-34.During an attack on the Khanskaya airfield on Oct. 4, drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) also destroyed two Russian aircraft – a Su-35 and a Su-34. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.