The Su-35S “Flanker-E” is a fifth-generation fighter … just without the stealth.
Photos have emerged showing the wreckage of an Su-35S “Flanker-E” fighter jet, lost near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
The Su-35S is the most advanced jet that Russia’s Aerospace Forces operates in significant numbers.
Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down the jet, which boasts sophisticated self-protection systems.
Russia’s war in Ukraine is not going well, and this week brought even more bad news for Moscow: the loss of one of the country’s most advanced fighter jets. Ukraine’s military shared photos on social media showing the wreckage of an Su-35S multi-role fighter jet, the first lost in the war. Ukraine’s aging air defense network allegedly shot down the fighter, often characterized as a fifth-generation fighter … just without the stealth.
On Facebook, the Ukrainian General Staff shared the images (below), which depict the flaming remains of a large, twin-tailed fighter jet. A red star—a holdover from the days of the Soviet Union, common to Russian Aerospace Force aircraft—is visible on the starboard wing. The rest of the plane appears to be burned to ashes.
So far, Russia has lost 19 jets throughout the course of its invasion, as documented by the Oryx Blog. The photos confirm the first documented loss of an Su-35S, known to NATO as the “Flanker-E.” The Su-35S is an evolution of the Cold War-era Su-27 Flanker, a dedicated air superiority heavy fighter. Just like the U.S. Air Force F-15A Eagle air superiority heavy fighter gradually morphed into the F-15EX Super Eagle multi-role fighter, the Su-27 in time morphed into the multi-role Su-35S.
