Russia Receives First Batch of New Su-35S in 2026

The continued delivery of Su-35S “Super Flankers” – one of Russia’s premier warplanes, which relies heavily on foreign components – once again casts doubt on the effectiveness of Western sanctions. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Russian Sukhoi Su-35S fighter aircrafts, Su-34 military fighter jets and Su-30SM jet fighters fly in formation over central Moscow during the Victory Day military parade on May 9, 2021. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Russia has received a new batch of Su-35S multirole fighters, marking the warplane’s first public delivery of 2026. United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the aircraft manufacturer, said on April 17 that an unspecified number of Su-35S have been delivered to Russia’s Aerospace Forces as part of the country’s state contracts. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . “UAC delivered a batch of new Su-35S multirole fighters to the Russian Aerospace Forces. Generation 4++ aircraft have completed a full cycle of factory testing, were tested in various operating modes by pilots from the Russian Ministry of Defense, and completed a flight to their home airfield,” the update says. The Su-35S (NATO: “Flanker-E”; unofficially “Super Flanker”) is a Russian multirole fighter jet, a modified multirole version of the Su-27 Flanker air superiority fighter developed in the 1980s, with the upgraded Su-35S in service since 2014. The last publicly announced delivery was in December 2025. Defense outlet Militarnyi noted that at least two Su-35S fighter jets were seen in the UAC’s promotional material, which took place at the company’s key production site in Siberia’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Based on the tallies from a Russian aviation outlet , the UAC likely delivered over 20 Su-35S jets in 2025, while total deliveries in 2024 amounted to 15 aircraft across four batches. It is unclear if the recent fire at UAC’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant has hindered production and deliveries. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine’s Envoy Says Russia Would Need Millions More Troops to Occupy Territory Kyiv’s UN representative rejected Russian demands and argued that Moscow’s war losses far outweigh its territorial gains. Faltering Western sanctions? The Su-35S was mentioned in a report questioning the effectiveness of Western sanctions, citing foreign-made electronics found in the aircraft. 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. 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. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.