Russia's Defense Ministry ruled out military transport aircraft of the Russian-Ukrainian development of the An-70 of the state program of armaments. This "Izvestia" said the Russian Defense Ministry. Russia's Defense Ministry had to 2020 to buy 60 aircraft of this type. However, the Ukrainian side has frozen joint development work (R & D). Kiev State Enterprise "Antonov" independently completed a plane and tested, and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine takes it on board this year.

Joint development work kontruktorskaya Russia and Ukraine on this project began in 2010. At the same time, according to the Defense Ministry data, Russia has paid 2.95 billion rubles for carrying out these works.

In April 2011, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that the procurement of 60 production vehicles laid down in the sun re-program for 2011 - 2020 years. In June 2012, the commander of military transport aviation of Russia, Lieutenant-General Viktor Kachalkin confirmed that the Air Force in 2014 - 2020 will receive a 60 AN-70. The cost of one AN-70 would be $ 67 million.

- Russia and Ukraine, - he recalled - created operivno-tactical military transport aircraft An-70. Ending the R & D is expected in the current year. We very much hope to get a new operational-tactical aircraft designed to transport personnel and other tasks. And in August, Anatoly Serdyukov announced the beginning of a new stage of flight An-70 test.

In February 2013, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov during his speech in the "Rossotrudnichestvo" said the possible and complete cancellation orders for the AN-70, explaining that Russia began producing IL-476. Later, the minister of defense of Ukraine Pavel Lebedev confirmed that Russia really has frozen the project for the joint development and testing of the new AN-70.

In October of the same year at a meeting of Russian and Ukrainian prime ministers reached agreement on the completion of joint testing of AN-70 to February 1, 2014. The Parties agreed that the results of their decision will be taken on the organization of serial production of this machine.

After removal from power of Viktor Yanukovych Ukrainian side further elaborated the project on their own. In April last year " Antonov "has finished the test, and in January 2015 of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine adopted the AN-70 into service.

According to a source in the Defense Ministry, the Defense Ministry is now considering the possibility of filing a lawsuit to recover 2.95 billion rubles, which were transferred to the State Enterprise "Antonov" for the design of the AN-70.

Last year, the Ministry of Defence has to file a claim in the Moscow Arbitration Court to recover 103 million rubles from the Ukrainian companies. The Russian military claimed a penalty from the Ukrainian aircraft designers for violation of terms of performance of works on creation and development of the AN-70. As a result, the court sided with the Ministry of Defense, and appeals and cassation courts have confirmed the first instance decision.

An-70 - the military transport aircraft short takeoff and landing, including the non-equipped runways. The aircraft has a maximum speed of over 750 km / h and to fly a distance of 7.8 thousand kilometers. Capacity An-70 is 47 tons.

- An-70 was initially quite dubious and likely political project - says Irina Kirin, chief editor of "Equion Russia, "the official publication of the Military-Industrial Commission of the Russian Federation -. We have resumed participation in it in 2010. It was something like an act of goodwill after the cooling of relations [in the days." Orange Revolution "] Then the Ministry of Defence aircraft included in the SAP. OCD and prepay. We needed a medium transport aircraft, but for some reason, in the end, "Antonov" began to develop a heavy, despite the fact that in Russia this niche already occupied by IL-76.

Kirin said that the aircraft price was originally too high, and in the calculation of the expected payments for the after-sales service boards, deductions for trade mark and design support, the entire project it seems impractical.

- In essence, these aircraft - the second "Mistral". They are held hostage to the political situation and the uncivilized, counter-productive relations in the framework of military-technical cooperation, - the Kirin. - Ukraine ceased military-technical cooperation with Russia, but the money has already been paid, so it is reasonable from the Defense Ministry to demand their return.

Military expert, member of thelic Council under the Ministry of Defense Igor Korotchenko also considers the continuation of the joint project impossible.

- An-70 project, as well as other joint Russian-Ukrainian projects in the current situation is no longer viable, - he said. - Ukraine an unreliable partner, all the relations in the sphere of military-technical cooperation with Russia in this country is finished. As for the Russian counterparts, in the near future it should be implemented through a series of works "Ilyushin" company.