Russia’s effort to protect its limited fleet of advanced Su-57 fighter jets has suffered a possible setback after satellite images showed one of the aircraft heavily damaged at a military airfield in southwestern Russia.
The damaged aircraft was spotted at Akhtubinsk airfield in the Astrakhan region, two days after two Su-57 jets and an older fighter were observed parked at the facility, according to satellite imagery cited by Newsweek.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, GUR, claimed that one of the aircraft suffered an explosion on October 29 while its engines were being started. The Russian Defence Ministry had not responded to the publication’s request for comment.
The incident could prove costly for Moscow, which has been cautious about exposing the Su-57 to Ukrainian air defences because of its high price and limited numbers. Each aircraft is estimated to cost about $150 million.
Russia considers the Su-57 its most advanced fighter jet and a competitor to American fifth-generation aircraft, including the F-35 and F-22. However, some Western aviation experts have questioned whether its stealth capabilities are comparable to those of its American counterparts.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated that Russia had about 21 Su-57s in service at the beginning of 2026, making any loss or serious damage to the aircraft significant for a fleet already constrained by production difficulties and the demands of the war in Ukraine.
GUR said the Su-57’s engines could suffer catastrophic destruction when operated with low-quality aviation fuel, although it did not establish that fuel contamination caused the incident at Akhtubinsk.
Ukrainian officials have also accused Russia of relying increasingly on imported aviation fuel following sustained Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, which have sought to disrupt the country’s energy infrastructure and its capacity to sustain the war.
The airfield, located about 400 miles from the Ukrainian front line, has been targeted repeatedly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine previously claimed that drone attacks damaged two Su-57 aircraft at the facility in June 2024 and an Su-34 fighter-bomber in August. Ukrainian authorities also said two Su-57s were damaged in another drone operation in May, while Russian media reported a separate Su-57 crash near Moscow in July. Russia confirmed a training aircraft had crashed but did not identify the model.
The latest satellite images show the parking area where the aircraft had been seen was empty, while a heavily damaged jet appeared on scorched ground. The fate of the second Su-57 previously visible at the airfield was not established.
The development comes as Russia continues to deploy its Su-57s cautiously, including for long-range strikes against Ukrainian targets. Reports have also suggested that the aircraft have been used to fire air-to-air missiles at Ukrainian drones, raising questions about the cost-effectiveness of deploying sophisticated fighter jets against relatively inexpensive unmanned aircraft.
In September, Russian officials announced the delivery of upgraded two-seat Su-57 aircraft, describing them as having a new technical design without disclosing detailed specifications.
The cause of the latest damage at Akhtubinsk remains unconfirmed.
Source: Newsweek
