Russian Aviation Sector

Russia's aviation sector effectively collapsed in 2022 after Western sanctions following the Ukraine invasion. Airlines operating 515 leased aircraft faced repossession demands. Russia instead seized the planes, creating $10 billion in insurance losses and rendering Russian carriers unable to fly internationally. Spare parts became unavailable; maintenance standards deteriorated. Airlines like S7, Ural Airlines, and Nordwind face slow-motion equipment failure. The sector demonstrates how modern aviation depends on global supply chains - autarky is impossible when every major system requires foreign-supplied parts.