Two Russian Su-57 Stealth Fighters Spearhead Attack on Ukraine’s Odessa

Two Russian Aerospace Forces Su-57 fifth generation fighter aircraft played a central role in strikes on the Ukrainain port city of Odessa on August 23, as the expansion of the fleet has allowed them to contribute to operations across the frontlines. Odessa has been intensively targeted throughout August, with drones and missiles having primarily been directed  against port, transport, energy and logistics infrastructure. As Ukraine's principal Black Sea logistics and export hub, strikes on port facilities are key to limiting NATO members’ ability to deliver armaments to Ukraine, and placing further strain on the economies of Ukraine and its supporters in the Western world. 

Although Russia has remained considerably behind China and the United States in bringing fifth generation fighters into service, the aircraft has been more intensively combat tested than any other of its generation. Head of the Sukhoi Design Bureau’s flight service Sergey Bogdan in November 2025 observed that extensive combat testing in the Ukrainian theatre had allowed the design to be further refined and updated. Combat operations in the Ukrainian theatre have included air defence suppression, air-to-air combat, and operations in heavily defended enemy airspace, as well as a range of precision strike missions.

The Su-57 is significantly more complex that other Russian fighter types, with flyaway a cost well over double that of the Su-35S and close to triple that of the Su-30SM despite its similar size and use of a common engine type with the former. The fighter was in service in very limited numbers when Russian-Ukrainian hostilities broke out in 2022, with under half a dozen having been delivered to the Aerospace Forces. The fleet has since grown rapidly, however, with an estimated 50-60 currently operational. Ukrainian sources reported by  in May 2024, and again in September that year, that Su-57 units had intensified their strikes on the country, with reports in August 2025 indicating that these operations had expanded to include whole formations of the aircraft. Kh-59/69 cruise missiles have remained the aircraft’s primary weapon for precision strikes in the theatre. 

On August 9 Odessa was hit in a combined Russian attack involving drones and missiles, causing substantial damage in the city, as part of a wider Russian barrage against targets across the country. On August 19-20 another large combined missile-and-drone attack against targets across Ukraine saw ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones target Odessa. A border crossing with Moldova in Odesa region was also targeted, complementing wider strikes on transport and maritime infrastructure. Further attacks were conducted on August 21-22 and on August 23, including a strike key railway infrastructure.