.jpg){kind=link}
A Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-34 was compelled to execute an emergency landin. An airbase employee captured the situation on video. The incident occurred at the Lipetsk airbase, situated approximately 300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The footage reveals the Su-34, designated “Fullback” by NATO, approaching the runway with its landing gear retracted. As the aircraft neared touchdown, the pilots jettisoned the cockpit canopy, presumably to expedite a potential evacuation. The jet ultimately came to a controlled stop on its belly, aided by two deployed braking parachutes. The precise reason for the landing gear malfunction remains undetermined. The Russian military has currently grounded the aircraft for pending investigation.
A Russian Sukhoi Su-34 bomber made a dramatic emergency belly landing without its landing gear deployed.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) March 22, 2025
Seen in this footage, Canopy was dropped for the ease of evacuation after aircraft came to a stop.#aircraft pic.twitter.com/npJxltaUxz
The Su-34 is a critical asset for the Russian military, intended to replace aging Soviet-era combat aircraft still in active service. However, operational losses and slow production rates have hindered its full-scale deployment. The aircraft has seen extensive use in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. There Russia has reportedly lost at least 26 Su-34s, three of which were attributed to technical failures. It is unclear whether the Sukhoi involved in the Lipetsk gear-up landing was returning from, or preparing for, a mission related to the conflict in Ukraine.
Despite that, Russia is still holding talks with the United States over the potential reopening of its airspace to the Americans.