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| UK Detects 5 Russian Su-57 Fighter Jets in Akhtubinsk |
London - British Intelligence released satellite imagery of the airport in Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, taken on December 25, 2022. A closer look at one of the satellite images shows at least five Su-57 Felon stealth fighters.
Akhtubinsk is a city in the Astrakhan region, located near the Volga River. The air distance between Akhtubinsk and the nearest point in Ukraine is only 500 km. The city is the administrative center of the Akhtubinsky district with a population of 37,560 as of January 1, 2018. According to British intelligence analysis, Russia used five Su-57 Felons to carry out air-to-air missile strikes against targets in Ukraine.
Britain claims that Russia uses the Su-57 for beyond-visual-range air strikes. The reason is that Russia is afraid of losing its reputation if the most advanced fighter in the Russian Air Force is shot down while invading Ukraine.
Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoigu confirmed the analysis of British intelligence. Shoigu said that the Su-57 performed very well for striking out-of-visual range targets. He confirmed that the Su-57 Felon had been taking part in military operations for a long time, since the conflict in Syria.
Quoted from the BulgarianMilitary website, the participation of the Su-57 in Russia's military action in Ukraine cannot be underestimated either. Although Russia has not fully utilized the capabilities of the Su-57. The presence of the Su-57 indicates Moscow's plans to start reducing the use of 4th generation fighter jets.
Russian experts claim that Russia will reduce the quantity and domestic production of the Su-30 Flanker-C, Su-34 Fullback and Su-35 Flanker-E fighters. Moreover, Russia has long revealed the new production facilities of the A Gagarin factory in Komsomolsk, Amur. This includes the use of the Izdelie 30 engine which will power the newly produced Su-57 aircraft.
Russia also plans to have the first Su-57 squadron in the 23rd airborne regiment located near the factory on Amur. On 28 December, the Russian Air Force took delivery of another four Su-57 Felons. Rostech CEO Sergey Chemezov said that the delivery is as planned which is scheduled for 2022. The Su-57 fighter, which will be delivered in early 2023, is also already in production.