5 months ago
27
NEW DELHI: Ukrainian forces for the first time targeted a state-of-the-art Russian
Su-57
fighter jet stationed at an air base within Russia's borders, claimed
Ukraine
's
GUR defense intelligence agency
on Sunday, accompanied by satellite images to support their claim.
In a Telegram post, the GUR did not disclose the method used to hit the Su-57 or identify the specific Ukrainian military unit responsible.
A notable Russian pro-war military blogger, known as
Fighterbomber
, affirmed that the strike on the Su-57 did indeed occur. The blogger suggested that the jet was hit by a drone.
The GUR stated that the aircraft was positioned at the
Akhtubinsk airfield
. According to their information, this airfield is 589 km (366 miles) away from the active front lines between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
"The pictures show that on June 7, the Su-57 was standing intact, and on (June 8th), there were craters from the explosion and characteristic spots of fire caused by fire damage near it," the GUR said, with the images posted alongside the message.
Ukraine has been battling a full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022. Both nations regularly carry out strikes into each other's territories using missiles and drones.
Due to a lack of an extensive missile arsenal like Moscow's, Ukraine has focused on developing long-range drones to target deep into Russian territory.
Russian blogger Fighterbomber said the fighter jet was damaged by shrapnel. He noted that the aircraft was currently undergoing assessment to determine if it can be repaired.
He added that if deemed irreparable, this would mark the first
combat loss
of a Su-57.
Russian state-run news agency
RIA Novosti
's military correspondent, Alexander Kharchenko, posted a cryptic message regarding the incident. He didn't explicitly acknowledge the strike but criticized the absence of hangars to safeguard military aircraft.
Although the Su-57 is promoted as a Russian fifth-generation fighter meant to rival its U.S. counterpart, its development has faced delays and a crash in 2019. Per its manufacturer, the
serial production
of the aircraft commenced in 2022.
(With Reuters inputs)
