PUBLISHED on August 6, 2025, 19:09 EST – Key Points and Summary – New reports suggest Russia’s Su-57 Felon stealth fighter is flying more frequent and complex missions over Ukraine, with entire formations allegedly conducting coordinated strikes.
-This increased activity comes as a top Russian general hints that the aircraft is now being delivered alongside hypersonic weapons, possibly an air-launched variant of the Zircon missile.
Su-75 Checkmate and Su-57. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-After a long and troubled development, Russia is likely using these combat deployments to prove the Su-57’s capabilities on the battlefield.
-This showcase is likely intended to generate interest from potential foreign buyers, with India mentioned as a possibility amidst its currently strained relations with the U.S.
Russia’s Su-57 Felon at War in Ukraine?
Reports are emerging that Russia’s Su-57 stealth fighter jets have begun emerging more frequently in Ukraine, according to a Defence Blog report that cited an aviation-focused Sonyashnyk Telegram community.
“Whole formations of Su-57s have already been observed in action,” Sonyashnyk reported, per Defence Blog. “One aircraft provides cover using long-range R-77M air-to-air missiles while another pair conducts strikes with Kh-69 cruise missiles or precision-guided bombs.”
Defence Blog also cited Sonyashnyk in claiming that Russia has been using a new, unfamiliar type of weapon, described as “potentially a hybrid between a drone and a missile,” with some referring to it as a Su-71K.
Military Watch Magazine backed up the report, citing “multiple sources with links to Ukrainian military observers,” as well as the Sonyashnyk group.
Per Defence Blog, the reported deployment follows a bumpy stretch for the aircraft.
“The Su-57 program, originally known under its prototype name T-50, first flew in 2010 but has faced recurring delays. The project’s development has been hampered by a lack of foreign investment. India’s withdrawal from the joint fighter program dealt a severe financial blow to the platform’s future, removing what was once viewed as a key funding stream,” the outlet reported. Part of that is because the production timeline has been “disrupted” by both Russia’s war in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions.
Should Ukraine shoot down one of those jets, it would represent a significant victory for them.
Hypersonic?
Meanwhile, the Russian news agency Tass said earlier this week that the Su-57 aircraft is not only seeing an increase in deliveries, but has added both “modern aviation strike systems and hypersonic weapons.”
The Tass story cited Lieutenant General Alexander Maksimtsev, Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
“In accordance with the state defense order, the Aerospace Forces annually receive advanced and modernized weapon systems. The pace of deliveries of fifth generation Su-57 aircraft is increasing, along with modern aviation strike systems and hypersonic weapons,” Maksimtsev said in an interview, per Tass.
The Tass report did not state which class of hypersonic missiles had been added.
“Integrating the Zircon onto the Su-57, which combines a very long range with advanced stealth capabilities, could significantly increase the threat to hostile shipping, particularly as the Su-57 fleet is projected to grow to several hundred fighters by the late 2030s,” Tass said.
“There remains a significant possibility that a compact air-launched hypersonic missile class developed for the Su-57 would also be deployed more widely across the Russian fighter fleet, particularly as the Su-57 is currently fielded in only a single regiment. It was confirmed in late July that the fighter’s primary class of air-to-air missile, the R-77M, had begun to be deployed by frontline Su-35S fighter units, raising the possibility that it could later be fielded much more widely in the fleet.”
Selling the Su-57 Abroad?
The Defence Blog story stated that in using the Su-57 in the war, Russia “likely seeks to generate interest from international partners and demonstrate the fighter’s operational utility under combat conditions.”
Some news reports, including one from the Eurasian Times, have indicated the possibility that India could purchase some of the jets from Russia, especially with U.S./India relations suddenly tense, and Bloomberg News reporting in late July that India has told the U.S. that they are “not keen to buy the F-35 stealth fighter jets.” Such a deal had been discussed earlier this year between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, when the latter visited Washington.
However, the Eurasian Times report stated that such a deal for those jets might further strain relations between the U.S. and India.
On Wednesday, President Trump announced a further 25 percent tariff on goods from India.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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Swamplaw Yankee
August 7, 2025 at 12:35 am
Wow: “Whole formations of SU-57” cover the Ukrainian skies in every other leap year. At least Putin is ready to test the air frame.
The reality is that many other international military items need to be tested. The IDF is a prime example. Huge PR for decades lauds this or that IDF item. But, there is zero proof the IDF has tested it in a first class field.
Ukraine should be the place for a public test of all that PR. The prime example is the IDF tanks of the ages. Get 100 examples of the super tank up to Ukraine and give Putin’s orc drone operators a chance to test all that heavy duty PR. OK, let the tank drivers chicken out when the temperature goes to 1 above zero. And, the hot tank drivers inside can be issued long johns as temperatures drop. -30-