According to the website of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, on June 8 local time, a Russian fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Su-57, was hit at Akhtubinsk airfield in the Astrakhan Region of Russia. If the Ukrainian military report is accurate, this would be the first combat loss of a fifth-generation fighter in the world. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not responded to the incident.
On June 10 (Monday), the Chinese state media outlet “Secretariat No. 10” of the “Global Times” published an article stating that since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Russian Aerospace Forces have repeatedly broken records for embarrassment. The article further claimed that the suspected destruction of the Su-57 was “not the most embarrassing, but only more embarrassing.”
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense website released satellite images showing that the Su-57 was intact on June 7, but on June 8, there were signs of craters and fire damage caused by being hit:
For the first time, a russian Su-57 jet was hit.
On June 8, 2024, a Su-57 multi-purpose fighter was hit on the territory of the Akhtubinsk air base in the Astrakhan region (russia), located 589 kilometers from the frontline.
Satellite images of the plane provide evidence of the… pic.twitter.com/XjgWxTEsa8— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 9, 2024
The “Secretariat No. 10” article stated that since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Russian Aerospace Forces have repeatedly broken records for embarrassment. Not only have advanced fighters like the Su-34 and Su-35 been shot down in succession, but even the valuable A-50 early warning aircraft were ambushed by Ukrainian forces, marking the first time a modern early warning aircraft was shot down.
Ukraine claims that more than one Su-57 may have been destroyed. The article said, “For the Russian Aerospace Forces, which rely on just over 20 Su-57s to deter NATO opponents, such losses are truly painful.”
The Attack on a Key Military Airfield is “Very Embarrassing”
The article pointed out that while both sides have yet to provide reliable evidence on whether the Su-57 was damaged in the airstrike, the attack on Akhtubinsk airfield is something both Russia and Ukraine publicly acknowledge—the problem is that this incident is very embarrassing in itself. The airfield is home to the Chkalov State Flight Test Center No. 929, where advanced aircraft such as the Su-57, Su-35, and the “Hunter” drone are tested. This National Flight Test Center is described as “one of the most valuable assets of the Russian Ministry of Defense.”
The article stated that even Russian media could not overlook the importance of the attack on Akhtubinsk airfield. The “Free Media” website criticized, asking why the Russian airfield was so easily approached by Ukrainian drones: “Is it because it is 600 kilometers from the frontline? But the enemy has proven more than once that flying drones such a distance is no big deal.”
The Article Criticizes Lax Russian Defenses
The article analyzed that Russian Aerospace Forces bases in the rear have been attacked multiple times, with early warning aircraft, strategic bombers, fighters, and now stealth fighters all becoming targets of Ukrainian drones. Regardless of the actual damage these attacks have caused, the fact that Ukrainian drones have repeatedly succeeded in these surprise attacks cannot be explained by Russian air defense “negligence”—a more reasonable explanation is that these bases, being far from the front line, have lax defenses, allowing Ukrainian drones to succeed.
The article concluded that if the Russian Aerospace Forces do not change this lax attitude, with Western-supplied F-16s, Mirage 2000 fighters, and longer-range air-launched missiles gradually coming into play, future losses might not be as minor. For instance, Ukrainian fighters carried out an attack on a target within Russian territory for the first time on June 9, which is a very clear warning!
Russia is now a BIG big embarrassment; but putin takes the cake.
1) Loss of financial assets abroad
2) Loss of huge amount of army assets
3) Loss of civilian lives to western arms
4) Loss of credibility
5) Loss of space leadership
Such losses above by putin could be perfectly replicated by china if the country doesn’t use it’s brains.