Hey there! Kyiv’s military intel just dropped something interesting – Ukrainian troops managed to damage a Russian Su-57 fighter jet. And get this, it happened hundreds of miles away from the front lines in Moscow’s acknowledged territory. A first in history!
According to a press release from GUR, Kyiv’s military intel agency, this incident went down on Saturday around Akhtubinsk Airport in Astrakhan, a cool 365 kilometers from the active front. The plot thickens…
Rumor has it that a Ukrainian drone swooped in and attacked the Akhtubinsk airfield on Saturday, sending shrapnel towards the Su-57. GUR is now figuring out if the jet can be salvaged or not. Drama!
Moscow is really into its stealthy Su-57s. They’re like the crown jewels of the Russian arsenal, way out of range of Ukraine‘s air defense systems. Su-57s aren’t the top players in the Kremlin’s air power lineup though, not like the trusty Su-35s they’ve been using heavily in Ukraine recently.
Word on the street is, Russia reportedly lost over 357 aircraft, but none were Su-57s. Moscow only has a handful of these bad boys currently, but they’re expecting more than 70 to arrive in the coming years.
The Russian Su-57 squad is out and about but keeping a safe distance just isn’t cutting it. Ilya YAVLA, the Kyiv Air Force spokesperson, boldly proclaims that Ukraine is Team NATO all the way.
According to British sources, Russia may still have Su-57s in its stash as of 2023. Evidently, the NATO buddies have intriguingly codenamed these long-range missiles “Felon”, which were recently pointed at Ukraine.
Kh 59 or Kh 69 missiles may come out to play if Kyiv needs to hit back at Ukraine. These are the exact missiles the Russians have been buzzing around with on their turf.
Fun fact: Last January, the U.K. Ministry of Defense spilled the beans that Akhtubinsk is the go-to hangout for Russian Su-57 Jets.
Russia’s on high alert not to tarnish its rep. The U.K. swoops in with a claim that the Ukrainian strike on Russia led to the loss of an Su-57.
Update, 6/9/2024 4:35 a.m. New info just dropped! Stay tuned for more.