Russia requests Vietnam lease aircraft as Western-seized fleet deteriorates

Russia has requested that Vietnam wet-lease passenger jets to help alleviate severe aircraft shortages. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia illegally re-registered over 400 foreign-leased planes. Deprived of Western spare parts, Russian airlines have cannibalized these aircraft, leaving nearly a fifth of the major fleet grounded. The proposed Vietnamese lease faces secondary sanctions risks, similar to a proposal rejected by Ethiopia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes have triggered fuel rationing at 26 Russian airports.

Russia's attempts to lease foreign aircraft

• ▪Vietnam's main carrier exclusively operates Airbus and Boeing aircraft, meaning any transfer to Russia would risk secondary United States sanctions for facilitating sanctioned aircraft operations.
• ▪Russian Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin proposed that Vietnamese carriers wet-lease passenger aircraft, including crews and maintenance, to Russian airlines as of October 2026.
• ▪Ethiopia declined a similar Russian aircraft lease proposal due to secondary sanctions risks, and Russian approaches to other nations in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have failed.

State of Russia's fleet

• ▪Prior to the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, approximately 850 of Russia's 900 commercial aircraft were Boeing or Airbus models, with 85 percent leased from foreign firms.
• ▪As of October 2026, 130 of 673 aircraft operated by Russia's 11 largest airlines are grounded (nearly one-fifth), and airlines outside the Aeroflot group have 93 of 322 planes idle (close to one-third).

Cannibalization of aircraft parts

• ▪Russia's aviation regulator Rosaviatsia is issuing its own parts certificates for cannibalized components, which are not recognized by European Union or United States aviation authorities.
• ▪Due to Western sanctions on spare parts, Russian airlines have cannibalized components from the seized fleet, which lack the certified maintenance histories required by international standards.

Seizure of foreign-leased aircraft

• ▪Aircraft lessors have filed insurance claims totaling approximately $8 billion to recover losses from the foreign-leased planes seized by Russia in 2022.
• ▪Following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia passed a law allowing domestic airlines to re-register more than 400 foreign-leased Western aircraft rather than returning them.

Funding domestic aircraft

• ▪Russian authorities are discussing a passenger levy of up to 500 roubles for domestic tickets and 1,000 roubles for international flights to fund domestic aircraft production.
• ▪Russia's domestically produced MC-21 and Tu-214 passenger jets require state or passenger subsidies because they are significantly more expensive to operate than Western models.

Aviation fuel shortages in Russia

• ▪Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries have reduced fuel production, leading the Russian government to restrict aviation fuel exports as of October 2026.
• ▪Fuel rationing restrictions have been introduced at at least 26 major Russian airports, limiting fuel to the volume needed for a single flight at several locations.

Debatable claims

• ▪US secondary sanctions on countries aiding Russian aviation are justified
• ▪Vietnam should reject Russia's aircraft wet-lease proposal
• ▪Russia's domestic re-registration of foreign-leased aircraft was justified
• ▪Russia's domestic parts certification is sufficient to ensure flight safety