The 308th Aircraft Repair Plant in the city of Ivanovo is on the brink of bankruptcy, burdened by mounting debts and legal claims, while its workers have not received salaries since September. It was this very plant that carried out repairs on the An-22 (tail number RF-08832), which crashed on 9 December 2025 during a test flight and went down north of Ivanovo. All eight crew members on board were killed.
russian sources have begun reporting extensively on the case, expressing confusion as to why russia, as it turns out, lacks funds even for a defense enterprise. This is particularly striking given that the plant is part of Aviaremont, which itself falls under UAC (United Aircraft Corporation), the holding that consolidates russia's key and largest aviation companies.
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Moreover, the plant's dire financial condition is now being directly linked to the crash. It has reportedly already been established that the accident was caused by incorrectly assembled or inadequately repaired control actuators. If workers at the Ivanovo-based 308th plant have gone unpaid for months, the old saying "you get the work you pay for" appears grimly applicable.
Following this disaster, there is a high likelihood that the enterprise will ultimately be declared bankrupt. Since October, a court ruling has been pending that obliges the plant to compensate Ilyushin in the amount of $2.3 million for overpricing aircraft repairs under a 2020 contract. The plant’s total debt exceeds $3.76 million, including $720,000 in unpaid wages and $250,000 owed for electricity. Disconnection from the power grid is expected in the near future.
The enterprise may now also be found responsible for substandard repair work. This would entail additional fines and the threat of criminal or administrative penalties for specialists, should their culpability be proven. Ultimately, this case illustrates a fundamental truth: any industrial facility is not merely buildings and machinery. It also depends on skilled professionals, whose competence has far-reaching consequences.
Overall, this is a highly revealing story. The Kremlin is making every effort to project the image of an economy free of serious problems, particularly in the defense-industrial sector. Yet if there is no money even for the 308th Aircraft Repair Plant, the reality appears far less convincing.
This plant has long been described as the only facility in russia capable of repairing the An-22, An-30, and An-32, as well as the main overhaul center for the An-72 and An-26. It was also intended to serve as the primary repair base for the Il-112V, a program that ultimately collapsed after the loss of the prototype in a crash. That aircraft was meant to replace the An-26 and An-72.
Without this plant, russia will face a serious challenge in maintaining its military transport aviation fleet. According to various sources, the russian Aerospace Forces still operate 2–5 An-22s, more than 110 An-26s, and around 25 An-72s. In russia's civilian aviation market, the number of Antonov-designed aircraft is even higher.
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