German Soldiers Capture Soviet R-10 Reconnaissance Aircraft, Summer 1941

September 28, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

German soldiers inspect a captured Soviet R-10 reconnaissance aircraft on a Ukrainian airfield, summer 1941.

WWII photo of a damaged Soviet R-10 reconnaissance aircraft captured by German forces on a Ukrainian airfield during Operation Barbarossa, summer 1941.

This World War II photograph shows a damaged Soviet R-10 reconnaissance aircraft captured by German troops on an airfield in Ukraine in the summer of 1941, during the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa. The R-10, designed in the 1930s by the Kharkov Aviation Plant, was a low-wing monoplane used primarily for tactical reconnaissance and light bombing missions.

The R-10 in Soviet Service
By the time of the German invasion in June 1941, the R-10 was already considered obsolete compared to modern German aircraft. Armed with a ShKAS machine gun and capable of carrying up to 300 kg of bombs, the R-10 could still perform short-range reconnaissance missions, but its lack of speed and protection made it highly vulnerable to enemy fighters.

Production and Deployment
Between 1937 and 1940, about 600 aircraft of this type were built. Many were still in service with frontline units of the Red Army Air Force at the outbreak of the war. However, their poor survivability and outdated design led to heavy losses in the first months of fighting.

Symbol of the Red Army’s Early Struggles
The captured R-10 in this photograph illustrates the desperate situation of Soviet aviation in 1941—outnumbered, technologically outclassed, and suffering from logistical chaos. Within a year, most surviving R-10s had been withdrawn from frontline duties and relegated to training or secondary roles.

Technical photo data:
📍 Location: Ukraine, USSR
📅 Date: Summer 1941
📝 Event: Captured Soviet R-10 reconnaissance aircraft during Operation Barbarossa
📷 Author: Unknown German military photographer