Russia was taken by surprise when it lost 76 passenger planes due to Ukraine invasion sanctions, minister says

• Russia lost 76 passenger planes due to sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine, a Russian minister said.
• He said that that Russia now only has 1,302 planes, of which 1,167 are passenger aircraft.

Russia lost 76 passenger planes due to sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine, Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev said.

"We were unexpectedly taken by surprise by the decision to take away the planes," Savelyev told Russian outlet RBC.

He said the 76 aircraft were either in technical storage, being serviced abroad, or were about to operate flights.

Savelyev said Russia now only has 1,302 planes, of which 1,167 are passenger aircraft.

Before the war, many of Russia's passenger planes were registered abroad and leased by Russian carriers.

Bermuda and Ireland, where many of the planes were registered, revoked the certificates of airworthiness of many Russian-based planes following the invasion of Ukraine, stranding almost $10 billion worth of aircraft in Russia.

In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a law allowing leased foreign planes to be registered in Russia, making them difficult for foreign countries to get back.

Savelyev said in March 2022 that almost 800 aircraft had been transferred to the national register.

He said in June last year that Russian airlines now operate flights to 11 countries that guaranteed that they will not seize planes.

Russia has explored purchasing some of the roughly 400 planes stranded in Russia, Reuters previously reported but has yet to be successful.

"There is a ban and a demand for return; they do not want to enter into negotiations on compensation for their payment and the purchase of ships from them," Savelyev said.

He saidRussia can't give up the planes as this "means leaving itself without aviation."