Substantial numbers of ex-Soviet Su-24s remain in service with
Kazakhstan,
Russia, and
Ukraine. In 2008, roughly 415 were in service with Russian forces, with 321 in the Russian Air Force and 94 in the
Russian Navy. The Russian Aerospace Forces will eventually replace the Su-24 with the
Sukhoi Su-34.
Soviet–Afghan War The Soviet Union used some Su-24s in the
Soviet–Afghan War, with an initial round of strikes in 1984 and a second intervention at the end of the war in 1988. No Su-24 was lost.
Lebanese Civil War On October 13, 1990,
Syrian Air Force jets entered
Lebanese airspace in order to strike General
Michel Aoun's military forces during the
Lebanese Civil War. Seven Su-24s were used in this operation.
Operation Desert Storm During
Operation Desert Storm, the
Iraqi Air Force evacuated 24 of its 30 Su-24MKs to
Iran. Another five were destroyed on the ground, while the sole survivor remained in service after the war.
Tajik and Afghan civil wars Fencers were used by the
Uzbek Air Force (UzAF) against
United Tajik Opposition operating from
Afghanistan (which also had a
civil war of its own going on), as part of a wider air campaign in support of the embattled government of
Tajikistan during the
1992–97 civil war. A Su-24M was shot down on 3 May 1993 with an
FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS fired by fundamentalists. Both Russian crew members were rescued. In August 1999 Tajikistan protested over an alleged strike involving four UzAF Su-24s against Islamist militants in areas close to two mountain villages in the
Jirgatol District that, despite not producing human casualties, killed some 100 head of livestock and set ablaze several crop fields. Tashkent denied the accusations. In the final stages of the
1996-2001 phase of the Afghan civil war, Uzbekistan launched airstrikes against
Taliban positions in support of the
Northern Alliance. During a mission to attack a Taliban armoured infantry unit near
Heiratan, a UzAF Su-24 was shot down on 6 June 2001, killing both crew members.
First Chechen War On 3 February 1995, during operations over Chechnya, a Russian Su-24M hit the ground in bad weather killing both crew members.
Second Chechen War Su-24s were used in combat during the
Second Chechen War performing bombing and reconnaissance missions. Up to four were lost, one due to hostile fire: on 4 October 1999, a Su-24 was shot down by a SAM while searching for the crash site of a downed
Su-25. The pilot was killed while the navigator was taken prisoner.
2008 Russo-Georgian War In August 2008, a low intensity conflict in the breakaway Georgian regions of Samachablo and Abkhazia, escalated into the
2008 South Ossetia war. Russian Su-24s flew bombing and reconnaissance sorties over Georgia. Russia admitted that three of its Su-25 strike aircraft and one
Tu-22M3 long-range bomber were lost.
Moscow Defence Brief provided a higher estimate, saying that Russian Air Force total losses during the war were one Tu-22M3 long-range bomber, one Su-24M Fencer tactical bomber, one Su-24MR Fencer E reconnaissance plane and four Su-25 attack planes. Anton Lavrov listed one Su-25SM, two Su-25BM, two Su-24M and one Tu-22M3 lost.
Libyan Air Force Libya received five Su-24MK and one Su-24MR from the Soviet Union in 1989. This was one of the last deliveries by the USSR to Libya before the end of the
Cold War. One Su-24MK and one Su-24MR may have been transferred to the Syrian Arab Air Force. At the beginning of 2011, the Libyan Air Force was ordered to attack rebel positions and opposition rallies. The Libyan Air Force was limited to a composite force of some MiG-23 (due to be retired, according to plans) and Su-22 and few units of flyable MiG-21, Su-24 and Mirage F1ED fighter-bombers, supported by
Soko G-2 Galeb and
Aero L-39 Albatros armed trainers. The largest part of the former fleet was in disrepair or stored in not flyable condition. On 5 March 2011, at the beginning of the
2011 Libyan civil war, rebels shot down a
Libyan Air Force Su-24MK during fighting around Ra's Lanuf with a
ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun. Both crew members died. A
BBC reporter was on the scene soon after the event and filmed an aircraft part at the crash site showing the emblem of the 1124 Squadron, flying the Su-24MK.
Syrian Civil War Starting in November 2012, 18 months after the start of the
Syrian Civil War and four months after the beginning of air raids by fixed-wing SyAAF aircraft, Su-24 bombers were filmed attacking rebel positions. The SyAAF suffered its first Su-24 loss, an upgraded MK2 version, to an
Igla surface-to-air missile on 28 November 2012 near the town of
Darat Izza in the
Aleppo Governorate. One of the crew members, Col. Ziad Daud Ali, was injured and filmed being taken to a rebel field hospital. Syrian Su-24s were reportedly involved in near-encounters with NATO warplanes. One such incident occurred in early September 2013, when Syrian Su-24s of the 819th Squadron (launched from
Tiyas Military Airbase) flew low over the Mediterranean and approached the 14-mile air exclusion zone surrounding the British airbase in
Akrotiri,
Cyprus, then turned back before reaching the area after two
RAF Eurofighter Typhoons were scrambled to intercept them along with two Turkish
F-16s. The Su-24s were possibly testing the base's air defenses (and their reaction time) in preparation for a possible military strike by the U.S., the United Kingdom and France in the aftermath of the
chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, Damascus allegedly committed by the Syrian government. On 23 September 2014, a Syrian Su-24 was shot down by an
Israeli Air Defense Command MIM-104D Patriot missile near Quneitra, after it had flown into Israeli controlled airspace over the occupied Golan Heights. The missile hit the aircraft after it had already re-entered Syrian air space. Both crew members ejected safely and landed in Syrian territory. On 18 March 2018, a SyAAF Su-24 was shot down by rebels in East Qalamoun, East of Damascus province; it fell into territory controlled by Syrian government forces. On 1 March 2020, two SyAAF Su-24MK2s were shot down by
Turkish Air Force F-16s using
air-to-air missiles over the
Idlib province. All four pilots ejected safely.
2015 Russian military operation in Syria in 2016. While the Russian Air Force (VVS) aviation group deployed at Khmeimim base in
Latakia included modern types such as the Su-30SM, Su-34, and the Su-35, the vast majority of airstrikes (over 80%) were conducted by Su-24Ms. According to
The Aviationist, at least twelve Su-24M2 bombers were deployed in September 2015. Regardless of type used, the VVS fighter-bombers used old unguided bombs stockpiled during the Soviet era against the insurgents. On 24 November 2015, a Russian Su-24M
was shot down by a flight of two Turkish F-16s near the Turkey–Syrian border. The two crew ejected before the plane crashed in Syrian territory. Russia claimed that the jet had not left Syrian airspace while Turkey claimed that the jet entered their airspace and was warned 10–12 times before being shot down. A deputy commander in a
Syrian Turkmen brigade claimed that his personnel shot and killed the crew while they were descending in their parachutes, while some Turkish officials subsequently stated that the crew was still alive. The
weapon systems officer was rescued by Russian forces but the pilot was killed by rebels, along with a Russian marine involved in a helicopter rescue attempt. Russian president Vladimir Putin warned Turkey of serious consequences. To increase safety during aerial operations in the region, Russian fighter jets would escort bombers,
S-400 SAM systems were deployed in Syria and a Russian
cruiser was stationed off the coast to protect Russian aircraft. Following the incident, Russia announced that Su-24s in Syria had been armed with air-to-air missiles on operational sorties.
Russian encounters with NATO forces In late May 2015, a pair of Russian Su-24s made a low pass over the in the
Black Sea. In April 2016, several Russian Su-24s flew within 30 metres of another American ship, the destroyer in the
Baltic Sea. The incidents occurred over two days, with the planes making passes by the
Donald Cook while it was in international waters. In November 2018, two armed Russian Su-24s flew low over the Belgian
auxiliary ship Godetia. At the time of the incident, the
Godetia was in use as the command ship of NATO's northern mine-sweeping fleet, probably
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1.
Saudi-led intervention in Yemen In March 2015, Sudanese President
Omar al-Bashir committed Sudan to join the
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the
Houthis. The Sudanese military effort included the commitment of up to four recently acquired
Sudanese Air Force Su-24s to the Saudi
King Khalid Air Base where they were photographed. Sudanese Armed Forces did not specify the type of mission the Su-24s conducted. Integrating several Soviet-made combat jets with air forces using modern Western models (F-15s, F-16s, F/A-18s, Tornados, Typhoons) during an active military campaign would represent a historical first, requiring extensive communication integration or leaving the Soviet-made jets operating on a different mission plan. Air defense units, like Saudi MIM-104 Patriot batteries, would either need to stand down, taking the risk of not monitoring for incoming threats or some very specific orders to avoid shooting down friendlies. On 28 March 2015, during
Operation Decisive Storm, Houthi forces claimed they shot down a Sudanese Air Force Su-24. Houthis published photos of an allegedly captured Sudanese pilot and metal parts claiming it as the aircraft wreckage.
Russo-Ukrainian War in 2015 The
Ukrainian Air Force inherited all of its Su-24s from the Soviet Union when the latter dissolved in 1991. In 2009, amid
declining relations with Russia, Ukraine began to have difficulty obtaining spare parts from Sukhoi. On 5 August 2019, the announced a modernization and
MRO program for Ukraine's Su-24M bombers and Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft. During the
war in Donbas, a Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 was damaged by a MANPADS fired by pro-Russian forces on 2 July 2014. One of the engines was damaged but the crew managed to return to base and land. During landing a new fire started but it was extinguished by the ground crew. Initially identified as a Su-25, on 20 August 2014 a Ukrainian Su-24M was shot down by Russian proxy forces in the
Luhansk Oblast and confirmed by Ukrainian authorities who reported that the crew members ejected safely and were recovered. On 21 August 2014, the downed plane was identified as a Su-24M.
Russian invasion of Ukraine Ukraine reportedly had 10 to 20 operational Su-24s prior to the
invasion by Russia in 2022. Lack of
standoff missiles meant that Ukrainian crews had to fly into range of Russian
air defences to strike their targets. The
7th Tactical Aviation Brigade suffered many losses in the first few months of the invasion. In the first hours of the invasion, the Ukrainian Air Force used at least two Su-24Ms during the
Battle of Antonov Airport against
Russian Airborne Forces that had flown into the airport in helicopters. On 27 February, one Ukrainian Su-24 was lost near Bucha, Kyiv Oblast. The pilots, Major Ruslan Oleksandrovich Bilous and Captain Roman Oleksandrovich Dovhalyuk, were killed and were posthumously awarded with the
Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Another bomber was reported lost on 3 April, when a video emerged showing the crash site with the remains of a blue-coloured AL-21 engine employed by the Su-24. On 22 March, another Ukrainian Su-24M was shot down by Russian forces in
Izyum. The navigator ejected successfully, but the pilot, Major Oleksiy Oleksandrovich Kovalenko, was killed. On 19 May, a Su-24 was lost near Pylove. The pilot, Lt. Colonel Igor Khamar and the navigator, Major Ilya Negar, were killed. On 9 August,
explosions at
Saky Airport in
Novofedorivka, Crimea, destroyed and damaged several aircraft on the ground, among them at least five
Russian Naval Aviation Su-24s. Russia denied the loss of any aircraft, though this was rebutted by
satellite imagery. On 9 October 2022, a Russian Su-24 crashed during landing in the Rostov region in Russia due to technical malfunction. In May 2023, the United Kingdom supplied Ukraine with
Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles, allowing Su-24s to launch strikes from a safer distance. On 24 May, Ukrainian Defense Minister
Oleksii Reznikov tweeted a
composite image of a Su-24MR carrying a Storm Shadow missile on its right wing glove pylon. As a Storm Shadow weighs almost 2,900 pounds, only the Su-24 or
Su-27 can carry it. On 2 July, it was reported that Ukrainian Su-24s were modified with pylons taken from decommissioned RAF
Panavia Tornado GR4s in order to carry and launch at least two Storm Shadows at once. It appears that the coordinates have to be entered while the aircraft is on the ground. On 11 July 2023, Russian
Lieutenant general Oleg Tsokov was killed in an airstrike on the command post of the
58th Combined Arms Army in
occupied Berdiansk, during the
2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive; Russian state media alleged he was killed by a Storm Shadow missile launched from a Ukrainian Su-24. On 9 September 2023, Russian sources claimed that six boats of an attempted Ukrainian amphibious operation near
Cape Tarkhankut were intercepted by a Russian Su-24M and that three of the boats were sunk using
RBK-500 bombs. On 13 September 2023, an attack on
Sevastopol Shipyard resulted in damage to port facilities, the
submarine Rostov-na-Donu and the
landing ship Minsk, both of which were in dry dock. Ukrainian Air Force commander
Mykola Oleshchuk strongly implied the use of either British Storm Shadow or French SCALP missiles launched by Ukrainian Su-24s. On 22 September, Ukrainian Su-24s firing Storm Shadow missiles
struck the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. The Ukrainian military alleged that the strike was timed to coincide with a meeting of naval officials and there were casualties. On 4 November 2023, at least three Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles launched by Ukrainian Su-24s struck the newly built
Russian corvette Askold at the
Zalyv Shipbuilding Yard in
Kerch. The ship, which was to enter service in the second half of 2023, suffered extensive damage to its port side. On 5 December 2023, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk stated that a Ukrainian
RBS 70 MANPAD downed a Su-24 in Odesa Oblast. As of 6 December 2023,
Oryx open-source intelligence website equipment loss tracker reported Russian losses as 1 Su-24M strike aircraft, 1 Su-24MR tactical reconnaissance aircraft, and 10 Su-24M/MR strike/tactical reconnaissance aircraft; and Ukrainian losses as 18 Su-24M strike aircraft, 1 Su-24MR tactical reconnaissance aircraft, and 1 unspecified Su-24 type. On 26 December 2023, the
Russian landing ship Novocherkassk was destroyed by Ukrainian Su-24s using cruise missiles. Russian officials claimed that two Ukrainian Su-24s were shot down, but this claim was refuted by a Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson.
Mali War In June 2025 an Su-24M was seen in satellite images at
Bamako Airport during the
Mali War.
2026 Iran war On 2 March 2026, Qatari ministry of defense claimed to have downed two Iranian Su-24 bombers en route to
Qatar during the
2026 Iran war.
CNN reported that the Su-24s targeted
Al Udeid Air Base and were reportedly flying at an altitude of above sea level to avoid radar detection. The aircraft were reportedly two minutes away from reaching Qatari territory when they were intercepted and shot down by a
Qatar Emiri Air Force F-15QA over water. As of 3 March, a search was underway to recover the crew. This was the first air-to-air kill for the QEAF and the first for the newer F-15EX line. ==Variants==