Ukrainians deliver major blow to Russia's elite Su‑57 fighter jets
Ukrainians have hit the most advanced aircraft in the Russian Federation's army for the first time. The local army struck one of the few remaining Su-57 fighter jets in service, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Ukrainians are boldly attacking Russian positions hundreds of miles from the front line. This is mainly due to the defenders' arsenal containing increasingly better weapons—drones reaching even 1,500 kilometres from the launch site and valuable ATACMS missiles recently used in attacks targeting Luhansk and Belbek.
The soldiers are not stopping there and are finding new targets whose damage or destruction is a strong blow to the Russians. The latest success of this kind is the first-ever damage to the most advanced Russian aircraft, the Su-57 fighter jet. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the attack occurred on Saturday, June 8, at 10:00 AM GMT. Ukrainians attacked an airbase in Akhtubinsk (Astrakhan region), where the Russians store, among others, the mentioned Su-57s.
Satellite images confirm that the fighter jet was parked undamaged the day before the attack. Still, after the shelling, characteristic cracks caused by the explosion and burn marks appeared on the airfield around the aircraft. The base in Akhtubinsk is located about 600 kilometres from the front line, and the Ukrainians are not disclosing exactly what weapon they used for the attack.
They only have a few. Ukrainians hit a valuable Russian plane
Every incident involving the Su-57 is exceptionally painful for the Russians. This is due to the fact that there are currently very few of them in the local army's arsenal. According to estimates, there are currently about 15 of these fighters, produced since 2020, in the Russian Federation's army. Although the Kremlin announced increased production to use the Su-57 more actively in Ukraine, the real scale of production is much smaller than the Russian authorities suggested.
This modern Russian design is powered by two Saturn AL-41F engines, each generating a maximum thrust of over 20,000 kilograms. The Su-57's wingspan, reaching 14 meters, shows that it is a larger aircraft compared to the coveted Ukrainian F-16s (with a wingspan of about 10 meters).
The maximum speed of the Russian "gold" reaches Mach 2, or about 2,500 kilometres per hour. The altitude at which the aircraft can operate is 20 kilometres, while its range can be up to 3,500 kilometres. A significant advantage of the Su-57 is the ability to carry a substantial arsenal on its weapon stations.
Underneath the aircraft is space for 12 stations for various types of missiles—six internal and six external. The machine is designed to handle modern Kh-59 and Kh-69 missiles. This machine's primary weapon for attacks is the 9A-4071K 30mm cannon mounted in the fuselage. Additionally, the manufacturer has equipped the Su-57 with a radar that detects enemy objects up to 400 kilometres away.
