[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Hi
The main reason of using by Russia/Soviet such name "old type, new one" was PR or propaganda goals. They have "loved" to use over 50 years (after 1945) such strange distinction about own types, not only planes, also with tank forces (for example T-26 from 1939 was old tank and T-34 from 1940 modern one ect.),
They used such distinction for presenting his defeat in 1941 as a not rightly preapred state to the war against Germany. So they written "we had 8% modern tank, or 4% modern fighter, 3% modern dive bombers like Pe2 or Ar-2 ect), often never supplying info about the full size of own air forces.
Such deliberatly habits have to make more acceptable for Soviet people to explain great tragedy/catastrofa of deafet in 1941.
BTW they have to forget to add too that for example I-16 typ 24, 29 had fought against Me 109 (F+G) also in 1943, and modern LaGG-3s were kept on the ground because they were dangerous for onw pilots.
German had used Ju 87 B-2 in 1941 and also Hs 123 quite long on the East and this old types fought very well inspite of being oudated and easly could be catched by such old types like I-16 typ 10 or I-15bis, older version of Soviet fighters.

Second reason was that, in fact in 1940-41 there were implemented into Red Army many new types of weapons. So even the I-153, which entered into the service in May 1939 and was produced up to the begining of 1941 was classified as old types (the same with I 16 typ 24, 27, 29).

In my opinion there are two factor about use by Soviet/Russian such a "duble speach" about their modern or old weapons in 1941.

And at last, one correction
Soviet air force had near Western Border the force of 1.100 servicable DB-3 and DB-3F of about 1300, next several hundreds were located in Asia. So, if right remebr, VVS RKKA had about 1700-1800 all DB-3 and DB-3F in his long distance air regiment.

Regards
MirekW