Russia's newest and most advanced Su-57 multirole fighter jet was struck for the first time at the Akhtubinsk airfield in Astrakhan region, located about 600 kilometers from the front lines, according to Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR).
The Akhtubinsk airfield is located in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast southeast of Volgograd. The Sukhoi Su-57, known by its NATO reporting name "Felon," is Russia's newest twin-engine allegedly fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter aircraft that entered service in December 2020. As of December 2023, the Russian Aerospace Forces had 22 Felons in service.
Satellite imagery evidence provided by HUR shows the Su-57 aircraft intact on 7 June, while the following day's image from 8 June reveals blast craters and characteristic fire scorch marks near the fighter jet, indicating a strike near the aircraft. The level of the damage to the Su-57 is unclear as the post-attack photo shows the plane's hull is intact. However, two blasts a few meters away from the fighter should have inflicted the explosive damage and struck the Su-57 with shrapnel.
The Su-57 can carry Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles with 300-320 kg warheads. Russia used these aircraft at least several times in 2022 to target Ukraine from the safety of Russia's airspace.
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