During a meeting on engine-building in Samara on September 5, 2025, President Vladimir Putin asserted that “Russia is among the five world leaders in the production and development of rocket and aircraft engines.” He emphasized that the quantity of aircraft engines delivered had multiplied in the past four years and indicated that the import substitution of the VK-650V engine for the Ansat helicopter and the PD-8 engine for the Sukhoi Superjet had been finalized. The president has stated that these designs are in perfect compliance with international standards. Additionally, Putin stressed that Russia continues to be a leader in space propulsion. His statement shows that Russia’s engine industry has changed a lot since 2021, especially under the heavy sanctions from the West. Russia has increased the production of gas turbines and generators for major energy projects like Power of Siberia-2, formed new partnerships, and achieved domestic goals to compensate for the drop in exports from the West.
Putin’s assertion is contingent upon the production of aircraft engines. To satisfy the military’s requirements and the civil fleet’s requirements, United Engine Corporation (UEC), which is a subsidiary of Rostec, has substantially increased its serial production. Deliveries have indeed increased over the past four years, particularly in categories where import substitution was time-sensitive. The VK-650V, which was specifically engineered for the Ansat light helicopter, has successfully completed certification tests, replaced foreign-made powerplants, and commenced service with domestic operators. The PD-8, which is specifically designed for the Sukhoi Superjet 100, has been introduced as Russia’s solution to its dependence on foreign engines. Its advancement was expedited and celebrated as a model of technological sovereignty. Along with the ongoing production of the AL-31/AL-41 fighter engines and the PD-14 for the MC-21, these improvements support Putin’s claim that UEC has upgraded facilities in Rybinsk, Perm, and Samara to boost production, according to independent sources in Russia’s industry.
Russia’s rocket engines significantly influence its technological legacy. Moscow continues to manufacture various engines, including the RD-107/108 for the Soyuz and the RD-191 for the Angara family, although Western programs have gradually eliminated Russian imports, with the U.S. being particularly dependent on the RD-180. These are currently in full serial production and are designed to accommodate both domestic launch programs and foreign consumers who continue to employ Russian launch vehicles. Putin’s assertion that Russia “maintains primacy in cosmonautics” is indicative of the fact that no other nation exports as many orbital launches with proprietary engines as Russia does. The ongoing use of the RD-191 in the Angara program and the planned growth of the Soyuz-5 project highlight that engine technology is still a key area where countries compete, even though sales of engines to other countries have decreased.
Gas turbines for power facilities have been a significant component of Russia’s engine-building efforts over the past four years. The sector was significantly reliant on Siemens and General Electric units during the 2010s. The state pursued the development of domestic turbines and generators after 2022, a program that culminated in the achievement of numerous symbolic milestones. The GTD-110M, the first heavy Russian-made gas turbine to entirely replace imports, was commissioned at the Udarnaya power station in 2024 by Rostec and Power Machines. They started supplying gas turbine units for the compressor stations of the “Power of Siberia-2” pipeline in the same year. To guarantee the uninterrupted flow of natural gas from the Yamal fields to China, these stations necessitate powerful generator sets. UEC-Salyut and Power Machines jointly supplied turbine-generator packages with capacities exceeding 25 MW, as indicated by Russian industry reports. These deliveries are of strategic significance. They demonstrate that Russia is capable of equipping mega-infrastructure projects that undergird its export revenue and geopolitical standing, in addition to ensuring internal energy security. Once operational, Siberia-2 will become one of the world’s largest gas export conduits, and its dependability is contingent upon the turbine-generator complexes that are supplied domestically.
In this industrial context, UEC recently disclosed the PD-26 engine project, a derivative of the PD family that is designed to function as a gas generator for the energy and industrial sectors in addition to an aviation powerplant. The PD-26 is being designed with a flexible structure to make it easier to use in big gas turbine systems for generating electricity, running pipeline compressor stations, and possibly powering ships. Russian engineers intend to reduce costs, unify maintenance systems, and abbreviate development timelines by converting a civil aviation engine into a dual-purpose gas generator. The concept is characterized by industry analysts as a pragmatic response to sanctions, guaranteeing that research and development in aviation directly benefits the energy sector. The PD-26 has the potential to serve as the foundation for both new aircraft projects and high-capacity turbines for projects such as Power of Siberia-2 in the long term, thereby extending the cross-sector utility of the PD family.
In addition to aircraft engines and heavy turbines, Russia has prioritized the development of smaller propulsion systems. Domestic facilities have increased the production of piston engines for UAVs and trainers. Investigations have revealed that Russia continues to import small Chinese engines through indirect channels. In the short term, these parallel imports guarantee supply, while long-term policy continues to prioritize import substitution and localization.
Putin’s assurance additionally relies on the existence of many additional initiatives. The PD-35 is a powerful engine made for future large airplanes, and later versions of the PD-8 and PD-14 are being developed to make them more reliable and efficient. As part of the transition from Ukrainian suppliers since 2014, advanced naval gas turbines are also in the pipeline. Expanding next-generation gas turbines in the 120–170 MW class is currently underway in the industrial sector. These turbines are suitable for power stations and massive pipeline compressors, such as those located along Power of Siberia-2. Rostec has revealed that these projects will use 3D printing techniques and AI-based diagnostics, which are expected to improve the strength, efficiency, and output of the turbines.
President Putin’s Samara statement captures Russia’s narrative: the nation has doubled its aircraft engine deliveries, achieved import substitution in critical programs such as the VK-650V and PD-8, retained leadership in space propulsion, and secured domestic capacity in gas turbines, despite sanctions and a sharp contraction in Western markets. The provision of turbine-generator units for Power of Siberia-2 is a strategic example that combines industrial capability with geopolitical energy policy. The PD-26’s introduction as a universal engine-gas generator serves to bolster this narrative by emphasizing Russia’s resolve to consolidate its aerospace and energy sectors under a single technological foundation.
In general, Putin’s reasoning finds support in Russia’s continued global leadership in engine design and production. However, there are still obstacles to overcome, including the need to scale production to satisfy both domestic and export demand, maintain quality control across newly indigenized lines, and compete in a market where Western and Asian firms are also innovating swiftly. The subsequent evaluation will determine whether flagship R&D initiatives, including the PD-26, PD-35, and new heavy gas turbines, can achieve international acceptability and serial production. At present, Russia has sufficient evidence to assert—as Putin did in Samara—that it has maintained and enhanced its status as a global leader in the development of aircraft, rocket, and gas turbine engines over the past four years.
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