Ukraine said on Sunday it had hit an Su-57 fighter jet parked at an airfield in southern Russia, its first ever attack on Moscow鈥檚 latest generation stealth aircraft.
The flagship Su-57 entered into service with Russia鈥檚 aerospace forces in December 2020 and was designed to replace ageing Soviet-designed fighter aircraft such as the Su-27 and MiG-29.
鈥極n 8 June 2024, a Su-57 multi-purpose fighter jet of the aggressor state was struck at the Akhtubinsk airfield in Russia鈥檚 Astrakhan region, 589 kilometres from the line of contact,鈥� Ukraine鈥檚 GUR military intelligence said.
鈥楾he defeat of the Su-57 is the first such case in history,鈥� the GUR added.
It also published before-and-after satellite imagery of what it said showed fire damage and debris around a Su-57 jet parked on an airfield.
The agency did not say how it carried out the strike and did not claim responsibility directly.
But a Ukrainian intelligence source said that the GUR was responsible, and that it had used Ukrainian-made combat drones in the attack.
Ukraine often targets military and energy facilities on Russian territory with drones, sometimes hundreds of kilometres from the front line.
Russian air defences shot down three drones over the Astrakhan region on Saturday, according to Moscow鈥檚 defence ministry.