On the 8th, the Ukrainian military announced that they had destroyed the latest Su-57 fighter jet in a drone strike on a military base in Russia.
According to CNN, the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency (GUR) officially reported via Telegram that they had destroyed a Su-57 using a drone. The satellite images reveal the damage to the base.
The satellite image on the 8th reveals scorch marks and a crater next to Su-57. The supersonic, twin-engine Su-57 is a 5th-generation stealth fighter, similar to the American Air Force’s F-22 Raptor and F-35.
Experts believe Russia’s Su-57’s performance is inferior to that of the F-22. However, former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu praised the aircraft in a 2022 report, describing it as “working wonderfully” and expressing pride in Russia’s latest fighter jet.
Ukraine has conveyed the significance of this attack by pointing out that the Su-57 can carry Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles, which could be a massive threat to Ukraine.
CNN explained, “If the reports of the Ukrainian drone strike deep inside Russia prove true, it marks another success of Kyiv’s low-cost drones taking out high-value Russian assets.” According to the Philadelphia-based think tank Foreign Policy Research Institute, each Su-57 costs between $35 million and $54 million.
Former CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty noted, “This is a really a trend that the Russians are worried about.” “The Ukrainians are attacking more and more inside Russia and taking the battle to them,” she added.
Shortly after the Ukrainian military announced the attack, Russian military bloggers criticized Russia for not building hangars to protect the Su-57.
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