For The Second Time This Week, A Russian Airline's "Superjet" Broke Down In Mid-flight

Russian passenger ships continue to be taken out of service.

Russian airlines' aircraft continue to experience in-flight malfunctions amid international sanctions and a deteriorating parts supply chain. At least two such incidents have been reported this week, according to The Moscow Times.

On Thursday afternoon, a distress signal was sent by the crew of flight A4 6030 from Yerevan to Mineralnye Vody, operated by “Azimut,” one of the largest airlines in southern Russia, according to "Ostrozhno, Novosti". According to the channel, shortly after taking off from Armenia, the Superjet aircraft transmitted code “7700”—indicating an emergency on board. After circling over Yerevan, the plane returned to its departure airport.

The decision to return to the airport was made “for technical reasons,” Rosaviatsiya stated. According to Mash, the domestically produced aircraft experienced problems with its GPS sensor and navigation malfunctions. The aircraft was to be sent for diagnostic testing. Shot also reports on the technical malfunction. According to the channel, last year this same aircraft—which is more than 8 years old—was unable to take off from Yerevan on its first attempt and had to return to the airport “to restart.” On October 25, aboard a Rossiya Airlines “Superjet” flying from Moscow to Arkhangelsk, the fire alarm went off during the approach.

“An alarm signal was received from the aircraft. The crew reported that the fire alarm had gone off in the baggage compartment. The landing was carried out as normal,” writes 29.ru, citing a representative of the Arkhangelsk airport. An emergency response team was dispatched to the aircraft’s landing site. According to the source, passenger deplaning and baggage claim “proceeded as usual,” and no signs of fire were found during the inspection.

Aircraft malfunctions involving Russian airlines have become systematic due to maintenance difficulties and an acute shortage of spare parts, which resulted from Western sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine. According to calculations by *Novaya Gazeta Europe*, in 2025 the number of aviation incidents involving malfunctions that led to flight cancellations quadrupled compared to 2024, reaching 800 cases.

In early July, another Azimut Superjet (Flight A46074 from Turkey to Minvody) was forced to return to Istanbul Airport shortly after takeoff due to a “technical malfunction on board.” Shot reported that the malfunctioning aircraft had previously been found to have multiple issues—in 2025, at least seven malfunctions were detected, including hydraulic pump failures and others.

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