Ukraine Says Russian Su-57 Had Engine Failure at Airfield

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said a Russian Su-57 fighter jet suffered an engine incident while starting up at the Akhtubinsk airfield, located in the Astrakhan region, on October 29. The agency described the aircraft as having exploded; the claim has not been confirmed by Russia in the information provided.

Ukraine Says Fuel Problems May Have Disabled Russia’s Su-57

Ukraine’s claim of an engine incident involving Russia’s most advanced fighter jet raises questions about the cost of sustaining Moscow’s war. The incident happened as the Su-57’s engine was being started at Akhtubinsk airfield on October 29, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said. The agency described the plane as having exploded and said poor-quality fuel can cause catastrophic engine damage.

The same agency says fuel issues may affect other Russian aircraft and jet-powered drones used in the war. It argues that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries have contributed to Moscow’s reliance on fuel imports from nations such as India, Egypt and South Korea.

International Energy Agency figures put Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries at more than 300 this year, with strikes hitting more than two dozen facilities. Ukraine says it has disabled half of Russia’s refining capacity. New attacks in late October have also been reported, including strikes on refineries in the Nizhny Novgorod and Samara regions.

The Su-57 is presented by Russia as a fifth-generation aircraft, though Western aviation experts question its stealth credentials. Ukraine estimates its price at about $150 million, while another estimate puts it at $140 million. The incident’s cause and the aircraft’s condition remain unconfirmed in the information provided.

Ukraine’s Su-57 Claim Does Not Establish a Russian Fuel Crisis

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency says a Russian Su-57 had an engine incident while starting up at Akhtubinsk airfield on October 29. It described the aircraft as having exploded and suggested poor-quality fuel can cause engine failure. The claim has not been confirmed by Russia in the information provided, and no independent confirmation of the cause is given.

Ukraine’s intelligence agency links the incident to Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and to fuel brought in from nations such as India, Egypt and South Korea. But that connection is an allegation from Ukraine’s intelligence agency, not an established finding about what happened to this aircraft.

International Energy Agency figures show more than 300 Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries this year, with more than two dozen facilities struck. Ukraine says it has knocked out half of Russia’s refining capacity. Late-October strikes also hit refineries in the Nizhny Novgorod and Samara regions.

The Su-57 is described as Russia’s most advanced fighter, but estimates of its cost differ: Ukraine puts it at around $150 million, while another estimate places it at $140 million. Available information does not establish that the jet was destroyed, identify a confirmed technical cause, or show that refinery attacks caused this particular incident.