Summary and Key Points: The Ukrainian military landed one of its biggest victories last week when it struck at least one Russian Su-57 Felon fighter jet with a kamikaze drone.

The Su-57 Felon is the most advanced fighter jet in the Russian arsenal. 

Its destruction on the ground signifies an important propaganda defeat for the Kremlin.

Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter Down

A few days back, a Ukrainian kamikaze drone flew through hundreds of miles of Russian airspace and struck at least one Su-57 Felon fighter jet parked in a Russian air base.

The attack took place on June 7 on the Akhtubinsk airfield, which is located in Astrakhan, in southern Russia. The Ukrainians estimate that one aircraft was destroyed and another severely damaged. Satellite imagery corroborates the Ukrainian assessments.

Naturally, Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t happy with the Ukrainian attack because it is a heavy propaganda blow to the image and capabilities of the Russian military. After all, the Ukrainians managed to fly an unmanned aerial system approximately 370 miles behind the frontlines, evading Russian air defenses, and taking out the country’s most advanced fighter jet.

“This is big news: Putin is really furious, and the reaction in the Kremlin is very hot and palpable,” Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (HUR), said. “Because they tried to carefully hide and protect the Su-57s. And these Su-57s never entered Ukrainian airspace because they were afraid of being shot down. But they failed.”

The Ukrainian attack is another blow to the questionable Su-57 Felon.

The Su-57 Felon

As we have previously covered here on The National Interest, the Su-57 Felon is an interesting aircraft.

The Kremlin has been touting left and right that the fighter jet is a fifth-generation stealth aircraft with comparable capabilities to those of the U.S. F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets. However, in reality, the Russian aircraft is not only less capable than its American adversaries but it is questionable whether it can perform in a modern combat environment.

The aircraft was rushed into service because the Kremlin thought that the Russian Aerospace Forces needed a fifth-generation aircraft in its arsenal. For example, the first prototype aircraft that are usually reserved for testing and development were pushed into operational service. As a result, there were mishaps, and aircraft were lost.

The Su-57 Felon is a multirole twin-engine aircraft that can conduct a wide range of mission sets. Even though its stealth capabilities might be questionable, the aircraft is still an important addition to the Russian Aerospace Forces.

In an air combat loadout, the fighter jet can carry a wide range of weapon systems, including R-73 heat-seeking air-to-air missiles and R-27 radar-homing air-to-air missiles. The aircraft also packs a powerful 30mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 cannon with 150 rounds for close combat.

In a ground combat loadout, the Su-57 Felon can carry cruise missiles, stand-off munitions, rockets, and conventional bombs. The Russian Aerospace Forces have used Su-57 Felons in limited long-range ground strikes against Ukrainian targets.

About the Author 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

All images are Creative Commons.