Key Points and Summary – Once touted as Russia’s premier 4.5-generation fighter, the Su-35 “Super Flanker” is taking unsustainable losses over Ukraine.
-Of roughly 114 Su-35s in Russian service, confirmed shootdowns already amount to several percent of the fleet, while some open-source analysts suggest as many as 20 percent may have been destroyed.
Sukhoi Su-35 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-Patriot batteries and, more recently, Ukrainian F-16s have claimed multiple kills, with Su-35 attrition now rivaling or exceeding Russia’s production capacity at KnAAPO.
-Export obligations to China and Algeria only deepen the squeeze. The result: a marquee fighter Moscow cannot easily replace, steadily ground down by Ukrainian air defenses.
Russia’s Su-35 Super Flanker-E/M Losses in Ukraine Won’t Seem to End
In addition to being a playing position in American football and rugby, the term “Flanker” is a NATO reporting name bestowed upon eight different Russian and Chinese fourth– and 4.5-generation jet fighters.
Five of the fighters were made by Russia’s Sukhoi, and three by China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
One of the Flankers—the Su-35 Flanker-E/M—is considered perhaps the Russians’ best fighter.
Yet this jet, often referred to as the Super Flanker, has taken severe and steady losses in Russia’s seemingly never-ending war of aggression against Ukraine.
Bottom Line Up Front: The Flanker E/M is Getting Outflanked
The Super Flanker is getting filleted into flank steak by the Ukrainian air defenses.
Unlike the more hyped-up Su-57 “Felon” fifth-generation stealth fighter (built by the same manufacturer), the Su-35 has seen extensive combat during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Out of 158 Su-35 total airframes built thus far, 114 were acquired by the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS).
Su-35. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Out of those 114 VKS-owned Su-35s, eight have been reportedly lost in the Ukraine campaign thus far, whether due to friendly fire, mechanical failure, or getting shot down by Ukrainian forces.
That equates to a 7 percent loss rate. And, if Medium blogger The Forensic Archive is to be believed, the Super Flanker’s losses are even higher— as many as 23 have been lost, which would equate to an unsustainable 20 percent loss rate.
In The Forensic Archive’s own words, “The main point is clear: Russia’s Su-35 attrition rate (about 8 to 10 planes a year) is much higher than the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant’s (KnAAPZ) ability to make planes (8 to 12 planes a year under ideal conditions, but only 4 to 8 planes a year now).
“This is an unsustainable bleed rate that will leave Russia with only 3–5 years’ worth of operational Su-35s at current loss rates.”
The low availability rate of Russian Su-35s is further exacerbated by the fact that not every Super Flanker built is retained—many are earmarked for export.
Twenty-four Su-35s fly with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, and 20 have been ordered by the Algerian Air Force.
The plane has also reportedly been purchased by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, though it’s still unclear how many Super Flankers the Iranians have ordered and when they will be delivered.
Some Specific Stories of Su-35 Losses
During the past two years alone, the butcher’s bill for the Flanker-E/M in Ukraine has included the following:
–February 17–21, 2024: Two Su-35S were shot down in five days by Ukrainian Patriot missile battery operators.
The Forensic Archives claims seven Super Flankers were shot down at that time, but the Forbes article by David Axe that the blogger cites shows the losses were two Su-35s and five Su-34s.
–June to October 2025: Six Su-35 losses were reported by open sources, including one apparent air-to-air kill by a Ukrainian F-16.
The Flanker’s Flip Side: Giving as Good as It Gets
The Su-35’s performance hasn’t been a one-sided affair, however.
Vladimir Putin’s Flanker-E/M drivers have certainly dished out punishment in addition to taking it, thus far claiming at least seven air-to-air victories against Ukrainian fixed-wing fighters, plus one additional kill against a Ukrainian Naval Aviation Mi-14 utility helicopter.
And of course, that doesn’t even account for the air-to-ground strikes Su-35s have carried out.
The Super Flanker certainly has a sufficiently impressive arsenal capable of meting out quite a bit of damage.
The Su-35 has a weapons payload of up to 8,000 kilograms on 12 hardpoints, including Vympel R-77 active radar missiles; R-27 semi-active missiles; precision-guided munitions; and a 30-mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 autocannon with 150 rounds of ammunition.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
