How many Su-57s does Russia have in service: expert tells

Defense Express development director Valerii Riabykh says that, according to preliminary estimates, Russia has up to 10 Su-57 fighters

He said this on Espreso TV.

"Russian Su-57 aircraft are carriers of Kh-69 missiles. It is this type of missile that, as recent events have shown, can break through our air defences. It is the Kh-69 missile that hit the Trypillia thermal power plant. It is worth noting here that the tactical and technical characteristics of these missiles expand the Russian forces' capabilities to strike at the territory of Ukraine. That is why the take-off of Su-57 aircraft in Russia will result in an air alert throughout Ukraine. Fortunately, the Russians currently have a small number of such missiles," explained Riabykh.

The expert believes that due to the lack of high-tech components, Russia cannot increase the production of Su-57 aircraft.

"The Su-57 aircraft, which is called the 5th generation fighter in Russia, is actually a transitional aircraft. Yes, indeed, the Russians are trying to bring it to the 5th generation, but they lack the technology. Russia may have up to 10 such aircraft. It is known that in 2022, 6 units were produced, and in 2023,Russia was able to produce only 3. Therefore, it is likely that such production rates of the Su-57 are related to the Russians' restriction to a certain component base," he added.

• On February 17, it became known that the Russian aggressor used the latest Kh-69 cruise missiles to shell Ukraine on February 7.
• On the night of April 11, the Russian forces launched a massive air attack on the territory of Ukraine.
• As a result of the massive Russian attack, the Trypillia thermal power plant in Kyiv region was completely destroyed. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the TPP would not have been destroyed by the Russian forces if the country had modern Patriot air defence systems.