A trove of classified contracts leaked in November 2025 shows Russia’s long‑promised PAK DA stealth bomber program is far more dependent on foreign suppliers than Moscow has admitted, deepening doubts about the Kremlin’s ability to replace ageing strategic aircraft in the near term. The documents, obtained by Ukrainian cyber‑intelligence volunteers from InformNapalm after penetrating the Experimental Design Bureau of Motor Engineering (OKBM), identify specific supply chokepoints that Western sanctions have already worsened and that Russian officials have not publicly acknowledged.
The contracts name Taiwan‑manufactured Hartford and Johnford CNC systems as critical to producing precision components for the PAK DA, including bomb‑bay actuators listed under the code “80RSh115.” According to the leaked procurement schedules, EU sanctions adopted in October 2025 targeted OKBM and cut access to those precision machine tools, forcing OKBM to push key component deliveries out to August 2027—on the optimistic assumption replacement equipment can be found and installed without further delay. Internal OKBM timelines in the files attribute cascading schedule slippage directly to the loss of these foreign manufacturing systems.
The leaks also outline a pragmatic — and problematic — parts‑sharing approach underpinning PAK DA development. Rather than entirely bespoke subsystems, the program heavily reuses components from the troubled Su‑57 fighter project, notably gearbox and joint mechanisms for weapon‑bay operations. That sharing creates a zero‑sum allocation problem: parts and engines diverted to bomber prototypes reduce availability for fighters and for modernization of existing bombers. The documents highlight competition for NK‑32 class engines — the same family earmarked for Tu‑160 modernization — as an acute constraint that has already contributed to holdups across multiple aircraft programs.
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The contracts challenge official Russian timelines. State media and defence ministry statements have repeatedly suggested serial production and initial operational capability could begin around 2027, but the leaked material shows no independently verifiable prototype flight testing had been completed as of May 2026 and major milestones such as engine integration remained outstanding. Internal audits included in the cache describe repeated delays and note that several development work packages assume access to foreign tooling and components that, under current sanctions, are not guaranteed.
Strategic implications extend beyond program management. As Moscow wrestles with development bottlenecks, the U.S. Air Force is moving forward with its B‑21 Raider program and other Western stealth platforms continue to be upgraded, giving NATO and U.S. planners more time to field counter‑air and integrated air‑defence systems before any Russian PAK DA deployment. Defence analysts consulted after the leak described the bomber as “a symbol of ambition rather than a functional near‑term platform,” and the documents point to more realistic schedules now pushing initial operational capability into the early‑to‑mid 2030s—if current procurement and supply hurdles can be overcome.
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The leak also undercuts longer‑standing Russian claims of military‑industrial self‑sufficiency. Reliance on high‑precision foreign CNC equipment exposes a vulnerability that financial and trade sanctions can exploit without directly targeting weapons. For a force still operating Cold War‑era Tu‑95 and Tu‑160 platforms as stopgaps, the PAK DA’s troubles suggest the Kremlin may remain dependent on aging airframes well into the next decade unless it can develop indigenous alternatives or secure new supply channels. The InformNapalm files represent a rare, concrete glimpse into how sanctions and supply chains are reshaping one of Moscow’s marquee defence projects.
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