Images that went viral today, June 9th, indicate that Ukrainian drones may have damaged Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) stealth fighters Su-57 within Russian territory. The information, disseminated through Telegram channels, shows satellite images depicting damage to one of the fifth-generation aircraft while parked on one of the auxiliary runways at the Akhtubinsk Air Base, located in the Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia.
Since the conflict began with the invasion in February 2022, the involvement of the new Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighters (NATO reporting name Felon) has been a subject of debate among various specialists. Their limited numbers in service with the VKS, as well as the sporadic deliveries by the UAC, prevent the extensive use of the most modern combat aircraft in the Russian Federation.
In early 2023, intelligence reports from the United Kingdom detailed that the Su-57s had been used in attack missions against targets in Ukraine, operating from Russian airspace to launch air-to-surface missiles. There were also reports of the presence of various specimens at the Akhtubinsk Air Base, which is home to the 929th Flight Test Center, and where the most recent Ukrainian attack on Russian territory is said to have occurred.
Based on satellite images captured and disseminated by the user Fighterbomber, who provides information on the current state of the Aerospace Forces, it was indicated in their Telegram channel that: “yesterday the airfield in Akhtubinsk was attacked by drones. Three of them reached the target. Fragments damaged a Su-57, and it is currently being determined whether it can be repaired or not. If it cannot be repaired, this will be the first combat loss of a Su-57 in history.”
Although the captured images do not allow for a detailed assessment of the damage inflicted on the Su-57, they demonstrate the impact of one or more drones at close range to the fifth-generation aircraft, presumably causing shrapnel impacts on its fuselage.
This is not the first time that Air Bases and Airfields located well within Russian territory have been targeted by Ukrainian drone activity. For example, one of the attacks recorded in August 2023 against the Pskov airport, located 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, reportedly caused damage to several Il-76 transport planes belonging to the 12th Military Transport Aviation Division.
There have also been attacks on other Air Bases of the Aerospace Forces, such as the case of Engels, in the Saratov region, which was confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense in December 2022, damaging Tu-22M and Tu-95MS bombers on that occasion.
Lastly, regarding the events recorded today, the Russian Ministry of Defense has not reported or issued an official statement regarding the attack, either to deny or confirm it. However, for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, this type of attack continues to confirm their ability to target military objectives located within the vast Russian territory to diminish, with varying degrees of success, the combat capabilities of the VKS.
*News in development.
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