Su-34 Fullback

Russia’s supersonic strike fighter-bomber — a twin-seat Su-27 derivative that evolved into the workhorse of glide-bomb warfare over Ukraine and the most heavily attrited Russian combat jet.

Overview

The Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name “Fullback”) is a heavy, twin-engine, twin-seat tactical strike aircraft that grew out of the Su-27 Flanker family and entered Russian service in 2014. Its distinctive flattened nose, side-by-side cockpit, and enormous internal fuel capacity earned it the unofficial moniker “Hellduck” and made it the longest-legged Russian tactical jet in operational service. Although originally designed for deep interdiction, the Su-34 emerged after 2023 as Russia’s premier launch platform for UMPK-guided glide bombs — a role that has defined the air war over Ukraine and placed the Fullback at the center of intense attrition. While production at Novosibirsk has been accelerated to replace combat losses and worn-out airframes, the type has become the single most-targeted Russian fixed-wing platform, with dozens of airframes visually confirmed destroyed or damaged by mid-2025.

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