Summary and Key Points: Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reports that a drone strike on Russia's Akhtubinsk air base damaged two Su-57 fighter jets. This incident, confirmed by satellite images, highlights significant vulnerabilities in Russia's air defenses, which failed to intercept the three Ukrainian drones involved.

-With only about two dozen Su-57s in its fleet, this setback is notable for Russia’s stressed aerial capabilities. The Su-57, developed to compete with the American F-22 Raptor, is Russia's premier multirole fighter.

-The successful Ukrainian strike, 400 miles from the front lines, underscores the effectiveness of drone warfare and the weaknesses in Russia’s air defense systems.

Russia's Air Defenses Fail as Ukrainian Drones Hit Su-57s

Russia’s top-tier fighter jet may be in trouble. According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, a drone strike targeting Moscow’s Akhtubinsk air base damaged two of its Su-57 fighter jets. And Russian air defenses seem to crumble as they were unable to stop the attack. 

The reported hit on one of the Kremlin's most prized multirole fighters does not bode well for Russia’s already stressed aerial fleet. Unverified reports indicate that three small Ukrainian-launched unmanned aerial vehicles evaded Moscow’s air defense systems, and one Su-57 suffered a direct hit. According to the Russian military blogger Fighterbomber, "For what reasons the air defense did not work, I will not write. Let the majors deal with the reasons and how it happened. The only rebuff the UAVs faced was a detachment that shot two magazines at them, and then spent the whole morning collecting cartridges around the airfield.” 

Satellite images confirm the attack

Since the Russian invasion commenced in February 2022, both sides have utilized drone warfare to advance their war efforts. The strike in question here was reportedly carried out by three one-way attack UAVs. These aerial weapons are cheap to acquire and relatively easy to produce compared to other anti-aircraft and anti-tank arms. In the past, Ukraine has used similar types of drones to successfully strike and destroy a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber.

Russia only possesses about two dozen Su-57 fighter jets, making this incident worth noting. Designated by NATO as the “Felon,” the Russian airframe was derived from a Cold War-era program to replace aging Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters. Following the collapse of the USSR, the newly installed Russian government did not pick up the project again until the late 1990s. Eventually, Sukhoi was selected by the Russian Ministry of Defense to develop a fighter that could go head-to-head against the American-made fifth-generation F-22 Raptor. 

The first Felons produced were powered by two Saturn/Rybinsk AL-41F1 afterburning turbofan engines. Newer variants receive the Izdeliye 30. The Su-57 reportedly features some impressive specs and capabilities, including a Mach 2.0 top speed.

Where Were Russia’s SAMs?

The Akhtubinsk air base is located deep inside Russian territory. The Kremlin likely did not expect Ukrainian forces to be able to launch a successful air raid at such a distance. Additionally, the failure of Moscow’s advanced air defense systems to detect and take down the three one-way attack drones before the strike points to a significant problem. 

As described by Forbes, “That the Ukrainians may have hit a stealth fighter nearly 400 miles from the front line of Russia’s wider war on Ukraine strongly implies that Russia’s air defenses are spread so thin by Ukraine’s escalating drone campaign that they can’t protect all of the Kremlin’s most valuable assets.”

About the Author: Defense Expert Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.

Image Credit: Creative Commons.