Ukraine shoots down one of Russia’s most advanced fighter jets

Ukraine says it targeted and destroyed one of Russia’s most advanced fighter jets in an attack over the weekend.

The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency announced the strike on Sundaysaying it targeted Sukhoi Su-57 fighters over the weekend at Akhtubinsk airfield, which is 360 miles behind the front line of the conflict.

The agency posted satellite photos on his Telegram channel to support the claim, writing “Russian aerospace forces have only a handful of these combat aircraft in service.”

The attack comes just over a week after the US and other NATO allies gave Kiev permission to use advanced Western long-range weapons for strikes inside Russia, although initial reports suggested the strike was carried out using a Ukrainian drone.

The Su-57 is a fifth-generation twin-engine supersonic fighter and was seen as Moscow’s answer to Western stealth jets such as the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor.

According to Flight Global’s 2024 World Air Forces Directory, There are currently 14 Su-57s in active service.

First developed in 2002, the first Su-57 entered service in 2020 and Sukhoi only began mass producing the plane in 2022. The aircraft has faced a series of obstacles, including a crash in 2019, according to the military. from the USA. According to the Foreign Policy Research Institute, an SU-57 costs between $35 million and $54 million.

In late 2022, TASS reported that Russian forces will receive a total of 22 Su-57s by the end of the year.

Popular Russian pro-military blogger Flightbomber, who closely follows the Russian air force, republished photos provided by Ukraine in telegram and said they indicated the jet was hit by a Ukrainian drone.

The attack comes as Ukraine claims to have largely halted Russia’s offensive in the Kharkiv region.

In its Sunday post, Ukraine noted that the Su-57 could carry KH-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles, which can be launched at Ukraine from Russian airspace.

If reports of the drone attack are true, it would be in line with a low-cost and highly effective strategy implemented by Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Since the beginning of 2024, Ukraine also have attacked more than 15 Russian refineries and oil depots with drones.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story