A Russian Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter recently made a technical stopover at Bandar Abbas Air Base in Iran, according to reports on social media.
A video shows the aircraft, number 054, taxiing alongside a Gelix Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 freighter for takeoff. The authenticity of the footage, however, cannot be confirmed.
According to reports, the Su-57 made a technical stopover for refueling while returning to Russia from the Aero Expo 2025 in Bangalore, southern India. The two cities are about 2,700 km apart.
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#Breaking: The Su-57 prototype, which was en route from #India to #Russia after participating in #AeroIndia2025, remains grounded at the 9th Tactical Fighter Base of the #Iranian Air Force. The aircraft encountered an engine failure yesterday, followed by another technical issue… pic.twitter.com/StKYUFoWg5
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) February 21, 2025
However, after takeoff, the fighter jet reportedly suffered an engine failure and returned to Bandar Abbas, but soon resumed its flight.
The stop in Iran could be a consequence of the fall of the government of dictator Bashar al-Assad in Syria, a country where Russia has normally used as a technical stopover for its military aircraft.
Iran has been one of Putin’s closest allies, supplying drones that were used in attacks on Ukraine at the start of the conflict in 2022.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) recently said it had reached a deal to receive Sukhoi Su-35E fighter jets, some of which were rumored to have been delivered late last year.
The Su-57 054 is a pre-production aircraft used by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) for display to potential customers and air shows.
