Ukraine’s military has claimed a significant victory by successfully striking one of Russia’s most advanced warplanes, the Su-57 fighter jet, at the Akhtubinsk base in southern Russia. The attack, which took place on Saturday, was carried out nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) from the front lines, according to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.
The Ukrainian agency shared satellite photos showing the aftermath of the attack, with black soot marks and small craters visible around the parked aircraft. If confirmed, this would mark Ukraine’s first known successful strike on the twin-engine stealth fighter, which is considered Moscow’s most advanced military aircraft.
The strike was made possible after Ukraine’s Western allies, including the United States and Germany, recently authorized Kyiv to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying. President Joe Biden has approved the use of American arms for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Although the specific weapons used in the attack were not immediately clear, the distance of the airfield from Ukraine suggests that drones were likely employed. The Ukrainian agency emphasized the rarity of the Su-57 in Moscow’s arsenal, with reports indicating that Russia obtained “more than 10” new Su-57s last year and plans to produce 76 by 2028.
Moscow has not yet commented on the reports, although Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed on Saturday that its forces had downed three Ukrainian drones in the Astrakhan region, where the Akhtubinsk airstrip is located.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion more than two years ago, Ukraine has increased its domestic drone production and used these drones to strike deep inside Russia, including a gas terminal near St. Petersburg, over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of the Ukrainian border.
In other developments, Ukrainian forces continued drone attacks on Russia’s southern border regions, while Russian shelling killed at least three civilians and wounded nine others across Ukraine’s front-line provinces on Saturday and overnight. Heavy battles persist in the Kharkiv region as Ukrainian troops attempt to push back Russia’s invading forces, sparking fears for the city and a wave of civilian evacuations.
The successful strike on the Su-57 fighter jet at the Akhtubinsk base serves as a significant morale boost for Ukraine and demonstrates the country’s increasing capability to target Russian assets far from the front lines, thanks in part to the support of its Western allies.
Credit: CNN
