The Russian Air Force may have put its new stealth fighter, the Su-57, into combat in Ukraine. A video footage that was shared on social media on Wednesday shows a jet with a silhouette similar to the Sukhoi plane attacking a target on the ground.
The image, quite distant, does not allow visual confirmation, but the fighter has shapes very similar to the Su-57 and its diamond-shaped wings (see below).
According to reports, the video was taken in northeastern Ukraine and residents of Zhytomyr would have noticed the unusual sound of the jet.
Russia has a small number of Su-57 fighters, estimated at around 14 planes, most of them pre-series as the first production models were delivered a few months ago.
The 5th-generation jet has stealth features, but in the West many analysts doubt its ability to remain undetected by radar.
Its main mission is air defense, but the Su-57 can be used in ground attacks, as Russia claimed during the aircraft’s baptism of fire in Syria a few years ago. The Air Force has ordered 76 units for United Aircraft Corporation, which are expected to be delivered by 2027.
The Russian government has yet to officially confirm that the Sukhoi Su-57 is being used in the conflicts in Ukraine.
