Russia may soon be asking some of its citizens to fly in a plane designed in the 1940s. In an April 21, 2026 post, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said the Siberian Aeronautical Research Institute proposed restoring roughly 700 Antonov An-2 biplanes now sitting in storage.
It is a kind of time machine with wings, only the consequences are very present-day.
At first glance, this looks like an old-aircraft story about sanctions and supply chains. But what does a biplane comeback have to do with the environment? Quite a lot, because when aviation modernizes more slowly, emissions cuts and cleaner fuels usually slow down, too.
A biplane comeback in 2026
The An-2 is famous for doing simple jobs in hard places, including taking off from rough strips and carrying people and cargo on short routes. The Ukrainian intelligence statement says Russia relies on those flights because about 60% of its territory lacks road or rail links, leaving air service as the main connector for many communities.
The same post says only 249 An-2s remain in active service in Russia, with another 276 registered with DOSAAF, and that 16 were returned to the air in 2024 after decommissioning was halted. Russian business reporting has also described SibNIA discussing restoration of about 700 stored aircraft, matching the scale in the Ukrainian statement.
Why the modern replacement keeps slipping
In theory, this was supposed to be the era of newer and more efficient regional aircraft. Instead, the Ukrainian intelligence service says Russia’s planned An-2 successor, the “Baikal,” has seen certification pushed back repeatedly, moving from 2023 to later targets and now “hints of 2027.” Russian media have likewise reported officials publicly allowing for a 2027 timeline.
Russia has tried other paths, with mixed results. The same statement says the TVS-2MS modernization program was shut down in Russia and that the Mongolian company MUNKH AERO will operate versions of the aircraft using American engines.
Engines, software, and the sanctions trap
Even supporters of the An-2 revival admit the core problem is propulsion. The Ukrainian statement says U.S.-made engines are unavailable due to sanctions and that the Russian TVD-10B alternative “exists only on paper,” leaving the 700-aircraft idea stuck between expensive workarounds and technical dead ends.
There is an important tech twist here that often gets missed. Polish manufacturer WSK “PZL-Kalisz” says its ASz-62 engine family is “designed for An-2 airframes,” lists Avgas 100LL as a fuel option, and describes electronic control and fuel injection upgrades that can cut fuel use by 20% while reducing harmful exhaust compounds.
In other words, even legacy aircraft can be made cleaner at the margins, but only if sensors, software, and certification support stay available.
The climate and pollution math
Aviation is already under pressure to clean up, and the baseline is not small. The International Energy Agency estimates aviation produced about 2.5% of global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2023, close to 950 million metric tons, and IATA reports gross airline emissions of 942 million metric tons of CO2 in 2024.
That is why even a regional fleet decision can cast a climate shadow.
Now bring it down to the level of small aircraft and local airfields. The FAA notes that almost all aviation gasoline on the U.S. market is 100LL, which still contains lead, and the U.S. EPA has finalized an endangerment finding for lead emissions from aircraft that operate on leaded fuel.
The FAA has also laid out a path with industry to eliminate lead emissions from piston aircraft by the end of 2030.
Business pain shows up fast
When fleets age, costs show up in everyday places, including the price of a ticket and the risk of cancellations. Reuters has reported that Russia asked the UN aviation agency ICAO to ease sanctions, arguing that restrictions on parts, maintenance, and airworthiness support undermine flight safety for its largely Western-built commercial fleet.
In a Feb. 25, 2026 update, the same Ukrainian service said fewer than 60 of Russia’s 93 foreign wide-body passenger jets were airworthy and that more than a third of the long-haul fleet needed for Far East routes was not in operation due to spare parts issues.
Reuters has also described Russia’s broader struggle to build commercial jets on schedule under sanctions pressure, which can trap airlines in a cycle of extending older aircraft and hunting for parts through indirect routes.
Defense spillover and what to watch next
Civil aviation does not sit in a bubble. Aerospace supply chains are deeply dual-use, so when sanctions and wartime priorities squeeze high-end components and manufacturing capacity, civilian programs and climate upgrades often get pushed to the side.
The next milestones will matter. Watch whether the “Baikal” finally clears certification timelines that reporting now says could slip into 2027, and whether Russia can field a viable engine supply chain that does not depend on restricted imports.
The official statement was published on Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
