The destruction of the Russian Su-57 can be compared with the loss of the Russian A-50, - expert
Date: 2024-06-10 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
Co-founder and executive director of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation Dmitry Zhmailo believes that the Russian Su-57 aircraft is most likely damaged beyond repair.
"This is a really big victory for us. It is also a big reputational loss for the Russians, comparable to the defeat of a Tu-95 or A-50 aircraft by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The drones landed next to the Su-57 aircraft in order to hit it with debris, because it was under a certain covering. Most likely, we have cautious optimism that the plane is damaged irrevocably, it will not be able to be restored,” he said on Espreso.
According to the expert, the Russians spent a very long time developing their newest Su-57. Zhmailo added that it was an expensive development.
“Back in 2010, as soon as the first flights began, the development of this machine cost from 8 to 10 billion dollars, while one unit costs approximately 25 million dollars. In 2019, there were no more than a dozen such machines. The Russian Ministry of Defense has ambitious contracts for the supply of 76 such vehicles, which also amounts to billions of dollars, but the sanctioned Russian economy is unlikely to withstand such a contract for the Russians to supply such a number of combat vehicles to their army,” he noted.
The expert noted the uniqueness of the difficult operation of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine to destroy the aircraft. As Zhmailo explained, the operation was carried out thanks to systematic strategies to destroy the air defense of the invaders.
“Now we can strike at the Russian border, clearing the way for ourselves to strike in the depths of the Russian Federation. Now we can have quite significant similar results. Previously, for the Russians, their territory was a strategic advantage and they did not particularly worry about protecting their objects. Now Russian territory, its vastness, given that some of the developments of our drones can hit at a distance of more than 3 thousand km, becomes its very big disadvantage. The Russians wanted to stretch our line of defense, but we are trying to do the same with them. Now they are thinking about what objects they should cover. next time, what comes under attack: an airfield, an oil refinery, or a military base. We have something to hit,” he concluded.
