PUBLISHED on August 8, 2025, 7:54 AM EDT – Key Points and Summary – Recent reports from Ukrainian military observers suggest Russia is increasing the operational use of its Su-57 stealth fighter in Ukraine.
-The jet is allegedly flying in complex, multi-aircraft formations to practice deep-strike missions and is being used as a testbed for new weapons, including a stealthy hybrid drone-missile.
-After a long and troubled development, Russia is likely using the war as a live testing ground to gather combat data.
-More importantly, it serves as a high-stakes effort to showcase the Su-57’s capabilities in an attempt to boost its damaged reputation on the international arms export market.
The Su-57 Felon Goes to War in Ukraine? It Looks Like It…
BERLIN, GERMANY – Ukrainian media reports that Russia’s much-touted Su-57 fighter is playing a greater role in the war in Ukraine. It is being used more frequently to launch munitions at targets near the frontline, an activity during which Russian forces appear to leverage the aircraft’s stealth features and large payload capacity.
“The work of an entire Su-57 unit has been recorded more than once, where one was covering with an R-77M air-to-air missile, and a pair was involved in launching Kh-69 missiles or even dropping guided bombs,” a post in a Ukrainian aviation-focused Telegram channel wrote.
“The list does not end there. In addition to the Kh-69, the enemy is testing something newer and more like a hybrid of a missile and a UAV. The target is harder to detect on radar than a conventional winged missile and can maneuver quite actively,” the post in Sonyashnyk, the Telegram group, said. It added that some Su-57s “began to briefly enter the range of our weapons.”
The group also wrote that the Su-57s recently seen over Ukraine may have launched a novel kind of weapon: a hybrid missile/drone system called Su-71K. From what is known about that weapon, the Su-71K seems to have comprehensive radar-mitigating features and reportedly can execute evasive maneuvers to evade air defenses.
An Initial Attempt at Stealth?
The Su-57 is nominally a fifth-generation multi-role fighter with some stealthy attributes; it is billed as Russia’s answer to fifth-generation platforms such as the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter, and the F-35. Emerging from Russia’s PAK FA initiative, the Su-57 combines supermaneuverability, advanced avionics and sensors, and stealth features into a larger, two-engined aircraft.
Unlike the F-22 or the F-35, the Su-57 sacrifices some stealth for extreme agility. From the Su-57’s rear aspect in particular, the jet lacks the radar-defeating design characteristics of other fifth-generation fighters.
“Effective stealth design reduces an aircraft’s radar cross-section (RCS), allowing it to avoid detection and gain the upper hand in longer-range engagements. However, the Felon reportedly has a radar profile similar to that of fourth-generation non-stealth aircraft,” the Center for European Policy Analysis think tank wrote. CEPA later went on to call the Russian jet a “fraud,” citing the platform’s lack of explicit and effective stealth features.
Testing the Su-57 in real combat would be a great boon to the fighter’s operators and allow for the collection of battlefield data to improve the jet’s performance. However, another reason for the Su-57’s recent broader use in the war in Ukraine is to enhance its reputation in the international export market.
Import-Export
The Russian Aerospace Forces is currently the only operator of the Su-57, despite earlier rumors that various Middle Eastern countries considered purchasing the aircraft. Though Russia has historically supplied a great number of weapons to foreign buyers – including small arms, armored vehicles, tanks, and helicopters – the Made-in-Russia brand has taken a hit since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Partly as a result of the often abysmal performance in Ukraine of Russian and legacy Soviet weapon systems, Russian arms exports have fallen. Russia also requires vast amounts of military equipment to prosecute its grinding land campaign against Ukraine, leaving little extra capacity for export-designated production.
Given the intense anti-aircraft assets on the front in Ukraine, neither Russian nor Ukrainian aircraft have secured the skies beyond any territory they already control. And instead of waging pitched dogfights in the air, Russian and Ukrainian jets and bombers instead opt to launch glide bombs or other stand-off munitions at adversary targets. It is perhaps Russia’s hope that the Su-57’s partial stealth features could be used to penetrate more deeply into Ukrainian-controlled territory than previous Russian aircraft have managed, while also using their performance as a strong selling point.
Meanwhile, China has been making inroads in the international arms export market. Although Russia remains one of the heavyweights in this space, China has made rapid progress in aerospace.
SIPRI, an arms research think tank, wrote that “China accounted for 5.9 per cent of global arms exports in 2020–24, which was a slightly lower share than in 2015–19. While China is looking to increase its arms exports globally, many of the world’s largest importers still choose not to buy major arms from China for political reasons.”
However, SIPRI adds that “the bulk of Chinese arms exports (77 per cent) went to states in Asia and Oceania, followed by those in Africa (14 per cent). China delivered major arms to 44 states in 2020–24, but almost two thirds of its arms exports (63 per cent) went to just one state: Pakistan.” Islamabad enjoyed some success recently against Indian forces, reportedly downing up to three French-supplied Rafale fighter jets with Chinese J-10 fighters and PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles.
Could Russia’s newest fighter make waves on the international arms export market? That remains to be seen. But giving the platform some combat experience will help the Su-57.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. sHis work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
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