Russia is afraid to use its latest aircraft in the war with Ukraine

Russia uses its latest fighter jets to launch missiles at Ukraine thousands of kilometers from the border. It is afraid to send them closer to the front line.

This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defense on Twitter.

As noted in the summary, Since at least June 2022, Russian Aerospace Forces have almost certainly used Su-57 FELON to conduct missions against Ukraine.. These missions have likely been limited to flying over Russian territory, launching long range air-to-surface or air-to-air missiles into Ukraine.

Recent commercially available imagery shows five FELON parked at Akhtubinsk Air Base, which hosts the 929th Flight Test Centre. As this is the only known FELON base, these aircraft have likely been involved in operations against Ukraine.

"Russia is highly likely prioritising avoiding the reputational damage, reduced export prospects, and the compromise of sensitive technology which would come from any loss of FELON over Ukraine. This is symptomatic of Russia’s continued risk-averse approach to employing its air force in the war," the British Defense Ministry concludes.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 09/01/2022