Russia’s military has taken delivery of upgraded versions of the Su-57 fighter jet, the country’s most advanced stealth aircraft. These jets have played a minor role in Russia’s prolonged conflict with Ukraine. The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), controlled by the state, announced it delivered a new batch of Su-57 fighters to the Russian air force. Russia’s defense ministry confirmed the receipt but did not specify the number of jets or elaborate on the aircraft’s enhancements. Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for more information.
Technological Upgrades and Ambitions
The Su-57 is touted as a sophisticated and difficult-to-detect aircraft, comparable to U.S. fifth-generation fighter jets like the F-35 and F-22. However, Western aviation experts are skeptical of its stealth capabilities.
Russia’s Rostec defense conglomerate, which owns UAC, plans to upgrade the Su-57 further. They propose adding a second cockpit to control accompanying drones and infusing the aircraft with emerging sixth-generation technologies. These advanced fighter jets will likely rely heavily on unmanned systems, with more affordable drones performing high-risk maneuvers to keep pilots safer.
Despite these announced plans, Western analysts doubt these changes will place Russia’s program on par with those of the U.S. and China. Justin Bronk, a senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, shared these sentiments with Newsweek.
Performance and Role in Ukraine
In the conflict with Ukraine, Russia has used the Su-57 for long-range strikes. However, experts consider its performance unimpressive, and its utilization has been limited. An anonymous Su-57 pilot, cited by the Russian government and UAC, claimed the aircraft performed well during the conflict, calling it a ‘special military operation’ to align with Russian terminology.
The new Su-57s have completed factory testing, with Russian Defense Ministry personnel piloting the aircraft. Vadim Badekha, UAC CEO, stated that enhancing production processes to meet state defense demands remains a priority.
Production Challenges and Incidents
Russia has faced delays in producing more Su-57 jets, largely due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Experts from the International Institute for Strategic Studies report that Russia had at least 21 Su-57s at the start of 2026. In June 2024, Ukraine claimed to have damaged one of these jets, marking the first such report. Later, in April this year, Ukrainian drones reportedly damaged two Su-57s in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence.
A Russian social media channel, Fighterbomber, circulated an image of the Su-57D prototype undergoing flight tests. In May, a two-seater version completed a flight. Russian media later reported a Su-57 crash near Moscow during a routine flight. The defense ministry confirmed a training aircraft crash without specifying the jet type, stating the pilot ejected safely.
Russia has employed Su-57s to target Ukrainian drones attacking Russian infrastructure. This suggests the deployment of advanced jets against relatively low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles.
Newsweek’s editorial team, including Ben Kelly and Anthony Murray, collaborated with Martyn, their AI assistant, on this report.