Hunterboy,
There is no such a tradition/habit in Russia to give nick names like e.g. "Flanker", "Fulcrum" etc. Even if somebody "invents" a name like e.g. "White Swan" for Tu-160 or "Alligator" for Ка-52 (helicopter) they are not used in everyday life. Rather trivial derivatives from the numerical indicies are in use commonly. No pathos, at all.
Conversely, sometimes ironic names are given, like e.g. "comb" for Su-25 (if one takes a front look to a fully armed Su-25, it indeed looks like a comb).