Military Watch: Russian Su-57 fighter successfully evades radar in the Northern Military District (NVO)

January 8 2026 16 935 16

The Russian Aerospace Forces' Su-57 fighter jet has proven its effectiveness while participating in battles in the Ukrainian theater of operations within the Air Defense Zone. The fifth-generation aircraft demonstrated its ability to evade detection by various types of Ukrainian Armed Forces radar and electronic systems. This was reported on January 8 by the American publication Military Watch, citing Rostec State Corporation CEO Sergey Chemezov.

The head of one of the largest high-tech defense conglomerates on the planet clarified that this refers to the enemy's use of radars and electronic warfare systems. Meanwhile, the state corporation Rostec maintains contact with the military, incorporating many suggestions and accumulated combat experience into modernized aircraft.

At least our military is happy. The plane is very good at avoiding any obstacles…

– he said at a meeting of the State Council at the end of December 2025.

The publication reported confirmation of Su-57 use in airspace heavily defended by Ukrainian air defenses. For example, in mid-2024, one Su-57 penetrated the combat zone and shot down a malfunctioning S-70 Okhotnik stealth UAV with an air-to-air weapon (ATM) to prevent it from falling into enemy hands and being transferred to the West for analysis. The S-70 in question operated near Kostiantynivka in the Donbas, approximately 15 kilometers deep within Ukrainian defenses.

The Su-57's ability to operate in this area and engage targets at visual range with the R-74 short-range air-to-air missile demonstrates the aircraft's advanced radar evasion and stealth capabilities.

– says the MW article.

The publication also noted that other types of Russian fighters avoided Ukrainian air defense zones, relying on firing aeroballistic and cruise missiles or dropping glide bombs from a safe distance.

The ability to evade radar lock-ons is one of the most significant advantages of fifth-generation aircraft compared to previous-generation fighters. Ukraine's ground-based air defense system is considered one of the most powerful in Europe. At the low-level (short-range) level, it consists of a very large number of Soviet and Western MANPADS and other weapons, while at the mid-range level, it is represented primarily by Soviet Buk-M1 and S-125 systems modified to fire Western munitions. Longer-range systems include several variants of the Soviet S-300 and S-200, as well as the American Patriot.

The massive concentration of NATO air defense assets continues to pose challenges for the Russian Aerospace Forces, and the very limited number of fifth-generation fighters in service seriously limits their ability to counter these defenses. Serious delays in the Su-57 program have had a profoundly negative impact on Russia's military efforts, as no other Russian fighter type has comparable capabilities.

– analysts point out in the material.

As for the Su-57's use in Ukraine, it included suppression of enemy air defenses, aerial combat, and a wide range of precision strike missions. The aircraft is still undergoing development, as Chemezov himself confirmed at the Dubai Air Show (UAE) in November 2025. Meanwhile, deliveries of the Su-57 to Algeria have already begun, and licensed production in India is under discussion.

Much about the future of the fighter program, including the number the Russian Armed Forces will purchase, remains uncertain.

– the specialized media outlet concluded.

Information

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Vladimir Tuzakov

+3

8 January 2026 19: 28

The Su-57 may be good, but why does the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to fly, and not only, shoot down UAVs and missiles over Ukraine, and participate in strikes against air defense bases and the rear of the Russian Armed Forces? The Su-57 has long-range air-to-air missiles. What's the problem with detecting and using them? Heavy A-50s have been used to shoot down both enemy aircraft and friendly fire, so the Su-57 can partially replace them.
1. AlOrg
  
  +2
  
  8 January 2026 20: 09
  
  They said there were very few Su-57s. If I remember correctly, not a single batch of these aircraft was delivered to the Aerospace Forces in 2025.
  1. svoroponov
    
    -2
    
    8 January 2026 21: 10
    
    The aircraft intended for us (with first-stage engines) were decided to be shipped according to the export order. Those on the assembly lines, with second-stage engines and some upgrades, will be delivered to our troops, starting in early 2026. They've also built a couple of new lines specifically for assembling these aircraft, so they'll be ready at an accelerated pace.
    The military is currently demanding more Su-34, Su-30, and Su-35 variants. That's the focus for now.
2. svoroponov
  
  0
  
  8 January 2026 21: 00
  
  Although Ukrainian aircraft are flying, they do so at a considerable distance from the LBS, practically crawling at low altitudes deep in their rear. Almost all of them are destroyed when approaching the LBS. The Su-57, however, has a combat radius within which it operates, and targets are selected based on its armament. Furthermore, air-to-air missiles aren't 100% effective, and the farther away the target, the greater its chances of evading them. Furthermore, to continuously monitor the area, aircraft must hover in the air, which wears out both aircraft and engines. The Ukrainians, however, use their aircraft for short periods of time: takeoff, climb, launch a missile (usually an air-to-surface missile), and then quickly descend and return to the landing point. Therefore, intercepting them is time-limited and poses certain difficulties.
  1. Vladimir Tuzakov
    
    +2
    
    8 January 2026 21: 58
    
    Reply. You're telling a tall tale: Ukrainian aircraft are shooting down more than half of the Geraniums, quite a few missiles, so takeoff and landing are out of the question. The LBS has a different mission, of course, similar to your description, but the approach is not short. But why aren't they detected, if according to the Su-57 data, they should be? The question remains open...
    1. svoroponov
      
      -2
      
      9 January 2026 12: 31
      
      You're a storyteller. I just spoke with a Ukrainian air defense operator. They shoot down, but not many. They just count downs not based on actual targets hit, but on the number of launches made, to justify their expenditure. They were paid for each supposedly hit target; there's a tariff. Aircraft practically don't operate against Gerani missiles; with their speeds and at such altitudes, it's close to suicide. They're trying to combat Gerani missiles with ground-based air defenses. Aircraft are scrambled to counter cruise missiles, but missiles have now started to swerve in flight when entering the radiation zone of any radar, so intercepting them is a huge problem. You just don't know the Ukrainians; they're complete fantasists. Their lies about downings are a joke. And you can see this for yourself by watching the videos of the attack on the Odessa port, for example. The density of fire against Gerani missiles is impressive, but they easily enter and hit targets. This speaks to the effectiveness of their air defense.
Fizik13

+3

8 January 2026 21: 17

Citizens, leaders of Military Watch - why aren't you writing glowing praises about the F-35?
1. vitgusin
  
  +2
  
  8 January 2026 22: 08
  
  Quote from Fizik13
  Military Watch leaders - why aren't you writing glowing praises for the F-35?
  
  They are busy for now, if you allow me, I will write down what is written there. in Military Watch magazine
  November 29 2025 city
  
  An Israeli Air Force officer, speaking under the pseudonym Lieutenant Colonel I:
  "Most of the F-35's missions were reconnaissance missions, giving us a lot of information that other aircraft, like the F-16I, don't have. They have a lot of equipment that helps them identify what missiles are coming our way. And they can essentially tell the F-16I: 'Be careful, you're going to encounter this or that type of missile.' And after receiving that information, we carry out our attack mission, which is more precise and targeted. So in our formation, we let the F-35 fly first, observe what's happening, gather intelligence, and relay it back to us and the other aircraft, and then we use that information to attack."
  The F-35 fighter retains world-leading electronic warfare and intelligence-gathering capabilities, complemented by its advanced stealth capabilities, allowing it to operate much closer to the threat than other aircraft. This makes the fighter invaluable for larger-scale campaigns to suppress enemy air defenses.
Dmitry Volkov

+2

8 January 2026 22: 23

Yes, when will the Banderites run out of missiles for our air defense systems, or do we sell them to them? They don't have enough themselves.
1. svoroponov
  
  +5
  
  10 January 2026 15: 52
  
  The FrankenSAM is a Buk with American missiles. We're out of our own, so we're not selling them. They're installing American ones now, but they're not working.
Sergey Latyshev

-1

9 January 2026 09: 56

Ah, a military watch shop... A regular expert, though. At least it's not a grocery store.
True, ours announced that the air defense Ukrainians Almost all of it was knocked out. And here:

Ukraine's air defense is considered one of the most powerful in Europe.

And the evidence... shot down his own faulty "hunter" "at visual range".

Yes. Lucky.
1. svoroponov
  
  +2
  
  10 January 2026 15: 46
  
  Look who's writing about "the most powerful air defense" in Europe? Ukrainian air defenses have indeed been knocked out. Almost all of NATO's are there now. The same Buk mounts. The chassis remains, but everything else has been redesigned, and now they're FrankenSAM air defense systems.
  And about the "Okhotnik." Actually, this contraption was made to test UAV control systems and electronic components remotely, from a fighter. It's all metal and assembled almost entirely from parts, modified and adapted from a MiG-21 fighter. It has no stealth. Why this thing was assigned to the Air Defense Forces is beyond me. But it's clear there was some consideration for flying in the frontline zone, where electronic warfare systems and MANPADS are in use. This mission wasn't the first, and the developer didn't specify what happened there. And the fact that they destroyed it themselves due to a malfunction is perfectly reasonable.
  1. Sergey Latyshev
    
    -1
    
    10 January 2026 19: 22
    
    You're absolutely right. The hunter is beside the point.
    And the air defense—it's obviously NATO's. The media has laughed repeatedly and calculated that there simply isn't enough of it. If a raid consists of 30 missiles and hundreds of drones (see the article), how much air defense does it take to defend against them?
The comment was deleted.
Sedoy

+2

9 January 2026 17: 53

The American publication Military Watch reported, citing the words of the head of the state corporation Rostec, Sergei Chemezov.

Well, well... the Americans are citing Chemezov... :)
So they don't have their own sources from the first farts from Ukropvo?
Americans, of course, can trust Chemezov... :)
oao

-2

11 January 2026 05: 07

So invisible that no one except the Military Acceptance Committee and the Chemezovs can see him.
AC130 Gunship

-1

16 January 2026 05: 07

I remember there was an old joke about "elusive Joe".