Due to a critical budget shortfall: Russia is preparing to sell nearly a quarter of its shares in Aeroflot
24 May 00:21
Rosimushchestvo is conducting a selection process for a legal entity to organize, on behalf of the Russian Federation, the sale of a 23.76% stake in Aeroflot. This was reported by the press service of the Federal Agency for State Property Management. "Komersant Ukrainian" reports this, citing Russian propaganda media.
Applications to participate in the selection process are being accepted from May 22 to June 8. A government directive dated April 28 is cited as the basis for this.
Aeroflot is Russia’s largest aviation group, comprising the eponymous carrier, as well as the airlines Pobeda and Rossiya. Currently, the state controls 73.8% of the company’s shares.
Sale Amid a Nearly 6-Trillion-Ruble Russian Budget Deficit
The sale is taking place against the backdrop of a significant increase in the Russian Federation’s budget deficit. In January–April 2026, it amounted to 5.877 trillion rubles (2.5% of GDP). As noted by the Russian Ministry of Finance, this figure is 2.946 trillion rubles higher than the level for the same period in 2025.
Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev previously noted that this year the Ministry of Finance expects to conduct two or three transactions involving the sale of shares in state-owned companies on the stock market.
Russian airlines to “decommission” some of their older aircraft
In January, it became known that Russian airlines plan to return some of their previously mothballed aircraft to service in 2026.
Experts attribute the return of old aircraft to service in Russia to a shortage of aircraft amid sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine. In addition, the Russian aviation industry is not yet capable of establishing mass production of its own aircraft. According to experts, Russian airlines are utilizing virtually their entire operational fleet, while a portion of the aircraft is subject to decommissioning each year, and replacing them with new ones is not yet possible.
