Ukraine claims to have damaged one of Russia’s most modern fighter jets, the Su-57, at an airfield 600 km from the front line

Ukraine assured on Sunday that its troops had arrived The most advanced Russian military aircraft The force is based at an air base nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) from the front line after its Western allies allowed Kiev to use its weapons for limited attacks inside Russia.

Kiev’s main military BroadCast Unitedligence service shared images purportedly showing the impact of the attack. If confirmed, it would be Ukraine’s first successful attack Su-57 aircraft, twin-engine stealth fighter Considered Moscow’s most advanced military aircraft.

In one photo, black soot trails and small craters could be seen on the concrete runway around the parked aircraft.The operation took place on Saturday at the Akhtubinsk base in southern Russia, about 589 kilometers (366 miles) from the front line, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate.

It was initially unclear what weapons were used, but the distance between the airport and Ukraine suggested they might have been drones.

A popular pro-Russia Telegram channel reportedly run by a retired Russian military pilot claimed that three Ukrainian drones crashed into the runway in Akhtubinsk on Saturday, with shrapnel damaging the aircraft. “It is now being investigated whether they can be repaired. If not, this would be the first combat loss in the history of the Su-57,” the Fighter-Bomber channel reported.

Military correspondent of the Russian news agency RIA, Alexander KhachenkoOn Sunday, he published a post on Telegram accusing the Russian government of not building hangars to protect its aircraft. But the message did not acknowledge the attack itself.

In the absence of an official comment from the Kremlin, so-called Russian “military blogs” such as Fighter Bomber are often seen as a source of information on military losses. Neither the Russian Defense Ministry nor its top leadership commented on Sunday.

The United States and Germany recently authorized Ukraine Use long-range weapons to strike some targets on Russian territory They provided it to Kyiv. Ukraine has already used some U.S. weapons to attack Russian territory under new guidelines approved by President Joe Biden that allow U.S. weapons to be used for the limited purpose of defending Herkov, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

The Ukrainian agency said the aircraft, which can carry stealth missiles for hundreds of kilometers, is one of the “few” of its kind in Moscow’s arsenal. Moscow’s armed forces received “more than 10” new Su-57s last year, with 76 expected to be produced by 2028, the Russian agency reported.

There was no immediate comment from Moscow. Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Russian forces shot down three Ukrainian drones in the Astrakhan region, where Akhtubinsk airport is located.

Kiev has increased its domestic drone production since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion more than two years ago and has used the aircraft to attack areas in the Russian interior, including a gas terminal near St. Petersburg, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of the Ukrainian border.