Russia’s advanced Su-57 Felon aircraft have conducted more than 40 strikes against Ukraine, according to sources within Ukraine’s Air Force.
These stealth fighters have become a more frequent tool in Russia’s aerial campaign, with increased missile strikes recorded since late February 2024.
Although Russia had previously deployed the Su-57 sporadically, the intensity and frequency of its use have grown significantly. In January, the UK Ministry of Defense reported that Su-57s had been used in Ukraine since at least June 2022, but their early deployment was limited. Now, these jets are playing a more active role, often launching strikes from Russian airspace over Kursk and Bryansk, as well as from occupied Luhansk.
In the past seven months alone, Russian forces have launched over 30 cruise missiles from Su-57 aircraft. Among these are the Kh-69 stealth cruise missiles, designed to destroy small, well-protected targets at ranges exceeding 180 miles. One notable strike using the Kh-69 occurred on April 11, 2024, when Ukraine’s Trypillia Thermal Power Plant near Kyiv was destroyed.
The Su-57s are also equipped with the Kh-58USHK anti-radiation missile, capable of targeting radar systems from distances of up to 150 miles, depending on launch conditions.
The Kh-69 is one of Russia’s latest missile systems, first publicly revealed in August 2022 at the Army-2022 military forum. Russia also showcased the missile at the Dubai Airshow in November 2023, describing it as a “next-generation multifunctional, low-visibility, high-precision cruise missile.”
However, international defense analysts argue that the Kh-69 is a modified version of an older missile. Experts from The War Zone note that the Kh-69 likely evolved from the Kh-59MK2 missile, which first emerged in 2009 and shared similarities with its predecessor, the Soviet-era Kh-59MK.