‘Ukraine Launched Preemptive Strike’

An expert reveals details of destruction of the newest Russian Su-57.

Akhtubinsk airfield, a key facility for Russia, was insufficiently protected from Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This is confirmed by the destruction of the Su-57. This was stated on air by the deputy director of the Ukrainian company for the production of electronic warfare, aviation expert Anatoly Khrapchinsky on the FREEDOM TV channel, emphasizing that Kyiv launched a preemptive strike.

“The strike on the Su-57 was carried out at the Akhtubinsk airfield. This is a fairly large air base in Russia, which is engaged in the modernization and testing of new weapons. That is, a high-priority facility that was insufficiently protected by air defense systems to cope with the Ukrainian UAVs,” he said.

The expert noted that Russia planned to actively use such aircraft due to the impossibility of actively using strategic aviation recently.

“Russia intended to replace the capabilities of strategic aviation with aircraft such as the Su-57 in order to use the Kh-69 missiles with an increased range. Therefore, we can say that there was a strategic preemptive strike. That is, against an aircraft that Russia expected to use in combat operations in the future,” Khrapchinsky emphasized.

In his opinion, this was also an additional blow to the image of the military-industrial complex (MIC) of Russia.

“This aircraft can hardly be called a fifth-generation aircraft due to the limitations that Russian engineers faced when creating it. The question is about the avionics and the engines, which they were unable to make less visible to radar systems... Well, and once again — that’s an image blow to the Russian MIC, because not only are modern S-400s being destroyed, not only are ultra-modern hypersonic missiles being intercepted, but, as we can see, aircraft have already become obsolete,” Anatoly Khrapchinsky summarized.

The Su-57 is Russia's most modern fighter jet, capable of using Kh-59 and Kh-69 missiles for strikes.