Conflict in Ukraine - Ukrainian Drones Capture Putin's Hidden Jet on the Ground: Su-57
Ukrainian forces assert that their drones managed to take down one of Russia's covert jets, the Su-57. This incident occurred around 590 kilometers away from the battlefront. The aircraft was stationary. GUR, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency, revealed satellite images of the Achtubinsk airfield.
GUR stated, "In the images, the Su-57 was still intact on June 7th; however, by June 8th, there were craters and signs of fire damage."
Russian bloggers also affirmed the attack. Fighterbomber, a Telegram channel, mentioned, "Yes, yesterday, the Achtubinsk airfield was targeted by drones. Three of them were involved. A Su-57 sustained damage from shrapnel. There's a decision being made about its repairability."
Su-57 Remains Intact, but Not Destroyed
The photos display several impact points. No remnants of a drone are visible. The explosion is reported to have scattered shrapnel that injured the jet. The level of damage is not discernible from its exterior. The Su-57 did not catch fire or explode. There are also rumors circulating online that this was not a real combat aircraft but a replica. Such claims are unverifiable. While it may serve as a potential cover-up for the loss of a valuable jet, both sides might also employ decoys of priced assets to mislead the adversary.
Lack of Shelter for Aircraft
Given the reconnaissance capacities, it is perplexing that combat aircraft are left exposed, rather than being safeguarded with shelters. These structures could be reinforced so that only weapons with tremendous force can reach the planes. Even basic soldiers would hinder the enemy's ability to pinpoint the location of the planes.
Few Su-57s in Existence
Currently, the Su-57 is the only stealth jet belonging to the Russians. Development faced delays. The Kremlin has a limited number of these aircraft, possibly not exceeding 20. In 2019, one of these planes crashed during testing, yet this loss should not be overemphasized. It's likely that these machines are also in use during the Ukrainian conflict. They are known to launch the hypersonic weapons KH-69 and KH-59, which wreak havoc on Ukraine's power plants.
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Despite the damage, the Russian Su-57 jet managed to remain intact during the drone attack in Ukraine, as revealed by the impact points and scattered shrapnel. However, the extent of the damage is not obvious from its external appearance.
Given the stealth capabilities of the Su-57 and the limited number of these aircraft in Russia's inventory, the Ukrainian forces' success in locating and targeting one of these jets highlights the vulnerability of Russia's stealth technology during the ongoing conflict.
