Putin furious after Ukrainian strike downs SU‑57 fighters
3:24 PM EDT, June 10, 2024
A representative of the Main Directorate of Ukrainian Intelligence, Andriy Yusov, informed that "Putin was furious" regarding the shooting down of the Russian Su-57 fighter jet. He also added that unverified information suggests that two aircraft were destroyed.
During an attack on the airport in Akhtubinsk, the most advanced Russian fighter jet—the Su-57 Felon—was destroyed, according to Ukrainian military intelligence HUR on Sunday. Putin calls this aircraft "the best fighter jet in the world."
"The defeat of the Su-57 is the first such case in history," HUR stated in a social media announcement.
"Putin was furious"
The representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, Andriy Yusov, said that the Kremlin reacted very "hotly and decisively" to the shooting down of the Russian Su-57 fighter jet.
Yusov emphasized that Ukrainian intelligence can confirm that the Su-57 was shot down in Russia, but the operation itself, as he said, can neither be confirmed nor denied.
"But, yes, great news. Putin will be really mad. And the reaction in the Kremlin is really very hot and palpable, because they tried to carefully hide and protect the Su-57," said the representative of Ukrainian intelligence.
He added that the Russian occupiers exaggerated the characteristics of the fighter jet to sell it and maintain a presence in the international arms market. Specifically, the aircraft was also used for missile attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets.
Additionally, Yusov stated that he has information about the destruction of two Su-57s and also about the deaths and injuries of the occupiers. At the same time, so far only one unit has been confirmed.
"Accordingly, when there is objective confirmation, we will talk about two. Currently, there is information about the defeat of two. Regarding the Su-57, we still have to wait for objective confirmation," noted the spokesperson.
A blow to Putin
According to Yusov, it's a failure, not just the destruction of the Su-57. "We understand it's a complex technological process. Diagnosing the damage will take the enemy a long time. And rebuilding looks the same. And if we are talking about this being an artificial product, meaning the Su-57, for Putin's army, the loss of any unit is a severe blow to the enemy's capabilities, he emphasized.
HUR noted that the Su-57 is the latest model of Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft, capable of carrying Kh-59 and Kh-69 missiles. Vladimir Putin himself calls them the best fighter jets in the world.
