Summary
- Ukraine’s drone strikes successfully damaged or destroyed Russia’s Su-57, marking the first 5th-gen fighter loss in combat.
- Loss of Su-57 highlights vulnerability of advanced aircraft on the ground to drone attacks, raising concerns for all aircraft.
- Russian reluctance to deploy Su-57s in combat due to fear of PR backlash has been tested as Ukraine targets valuable aircraft.
The Ukrainian military just released pictures that appear to show a 5th-generation Russian Air Force Su-57 “Felon” damaged or destroyed on the ground. If confirmed, this would likely be the first 5th-generation aircraft to have been destroyed in combat. While the Russian Invasion of Ukraine has been raging for almost 2.5 years, Russia has been loath to commit its high-profile Su-57s to the fight. Russia is known to have somewhat timidly used the Su-57 in combat, but it has been careful not to put them in harm’s way out of fear of PR embarrassment should they be shot down.
Ukraine destroy’s Russian Su-57 Felon
From satellite imagery released by the Ukrainians, a Su-57 can be observed damaged or possibly completely destroyed. While the aircraft is still visibly intact, impact craters from the drones are visible close to the aircraft, suggesting the aircraft is perforated with shrapnel.
The loss is reportedly a result of three Ukrainian drone strikes on the airbase on the night of June 7. The satellite pictures show Russia’s Akhtubinsk Airfield near Astrakhan, with images taken from June 7 and June 8.The airbase is around 365 miles behind the frontline.
“On June 8, 2024, a Su-57 multi-role fighter of the aggressor state was hit on the territory of the Akhtubinsk airfield… Su-57 damage is the first such case in history.” Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR)
The loss was also confirmed by the much-watched Telegram channel “Fighterbomber.” Fighterbomber is an account believed to have links to the Russian Air Force and is typically deemed credible by open-source intelligence (at least when it confirms Russian aviation losses).
“Yes, yesterday the airfield in Akhtubinsk was attacked by a UAV. 3 pieces arrived. The Su-57 was damaged by shrapnel; it is now being determined whether it can be restored or not. If not, then this will be the first combat loss of the Su-57 in history. I’ll tell you again. For the price of this Su-57 alone, shelters from UAVs could be built for all PTA aircraft in the country.” – Fighterbomber
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First Su-57 loss and first 5th-gen fighter lost in combat
The loss of Russia’s much-hyped 5th-gen Su-57 to cheap drones underscores just how quickly drones are reshaping the battlefield. It also underscores all aircraft (regardless of whether they are WW1 biplanes or futuristic 6th-gen fighters) are sitting targets on the ground. Although there are ways to protect them, e.g., hardened shelters would help protect them from drone strikes.
As an embarrassment to Russia, the Su-57 would represent the first 5th-generation fighter aircraft known to have been lost in combat (even though Russia has only has them in low numbers and only recently pushed them into service). That said, the Su-57 was destroyed on the ground, so it is impossible to extrapolate the aircraft’s combat performance from the incident.
Photo: BeAvPhoto | Shutterstock
British MoD intelligence noted in January 2023 that the five Su-57s, then parked at the Akhtubinsk Air Base, had likely been used in missions against Ukraine. Ukraine has now destroyed examples of many of Russia’s most valuable aircraft, including strategic bombers (both in the air and on the ground) and rare AWACS aircraft like the iconic Beriev A50U.