Defense Express reported the information.The 308th Aircraft Repair Plant in Ivanovo, which had recently completed work on the doomed aircraft (registration RF-08832), hasn't paid its workers since September and faces mounting debts totaling over $3.76 million, according to Russian sources. The facility is now on the verge of bankruptcy, with unpaid electricity bills of $250,000 threatening imminent power shutoffs.Initial findings suggest the crash may have been caused by improperly assembled or poorly repaired flight control systems, lending credence to concerns that financial distress directly impacted work quality. Russian commentators have invoked a local proverb roughly translating to "you get what you pay for" to describe the situation.The plant's dire financial state is particularly striking given its strategic importance. The 308th is reportedly the only facility in Russia capable of servicing An-22, An-30, and An-32 aircraft, and serves as the primary maintenance hub for An-72 and An-26 military transports. The Russian Aerospace Forces still operate approximately 2-5 An-22s, over 110 An-26s, and around 25 An-72s, according to various sources.Despite being part of the United Aircraft Corporation, which consolidates Russia's key aviation enterprises, the plant has been struggling financially for months. In October, a court ordered the facility to pay $2.3 million to compensate "Il" for overcharging on aircraft repairs under a 2020 contract. Of its total debt, $720,000 represents unpaid wages to workers.The situation presents an uncomfortable contradiction to Kremlin messaging that Russia's defense industrial base remains robust despite international sanctions. Without the 308th Plant operational, Russia faces significant challenges maintaining its aging fleet of Soviet-designed military transport aircraft, many of which were originally manufactured in Ukraine by Antonov.The crash and subsequent revelations about the plant's financial condition may accelerate its path toward bankruptcy, with potential criminal liability for specialists if their culpability in the faulty repairs is proven.On December 9, a Russian An-22 military transport plane crashed in the Ivanovo region.