Ukrainian strike damages Putin's beloved two SU‑57s at the Russian airfield
In the attack carried out on Saturday, June 8, on the Russian airfield in Akhtubinsk, one Su-57 fighter jet was reported to have been damaged, according to the Ukrainians at least. However, it turns out that as many as two aircraft were hit, as reported by the Russians themselves.
The Su-57 is one of the most valuable aircraft currently in the Russian Federation's arsenal. The problem for the aggressor's army is that it does not actually have many of them. According to the calculations of Ukrainian aviation expert Konstantin Kryvolap, at this moment, there are only 10-11 Su-57s in Russia capable of conducting operations.
The Ukrainians managed to reduce this number by one due to the attack carried out last weekend (on Saturday, June 8). The defending army reported a successful attack towards the airfield in Akhtubinsk (Astrakhan Oblast), where the Russians stored the Su-57. During the shelling, one aircraft was reportedly hit.
However, it turns out that the Ukrainians did not damage just one machine, as previously thought. As a result of the shelling, two Su-57 fighter jets were hit, as the Russians themselves report.
Only one of the two fighters hit suffered significant damage. The second Su-57 will most likely be repaired at the airbase where it is stationed. However, the Russians do not disclose exactly what elements were damaged in the second aircraft hit during a single attack.
The latest aircraft in the Russian arsenal
Let us recall that Vladimir Putin described Su-57s as "the best in the world." Though it is the fighter with the best parameters regarding the Russian air force fleet, the Su-57 rarely appeared over Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. This is because the Russian Federation is believed to have only a dozen copies of this aircraft. Moreover, they cannot conduct mass production due to problems resulting from sanctions. The industry struggles to obtain the appropriate parts.
The Su-57 was generally created in response to the American construction of air superiority, the F-22 Raptor. Although work on the Russian fighter began at the beginning of the 21st century, the first flight of the Su-57 did not occur until 2010, and by 2024, mass production had still not started.
The fighter is powered by two Saturn AL-41F engines, which propel the construction to Mach 2, or over 2,400 km/h (1,500 mph). In addition, the Su-57 can operate at a high altitude of up to 20 kilometres (12 miles), while its range exceeds 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles). On 12 weapon hardpoints (six external and six internal), there is space for various types of missiles and bombs, including modern Kh-59 and Kh-69 missiles. The Su-57 can also detect hostile flying objects within a range of up to 400 kilometres (250 miles) thanks to the built-in radar.
