Russia’s Su-57 fighter is increasingly being used to launch Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles from protected positions far behind the front line, according to Ukrainian Air Force communications and air-monitoring reports released in May 2026. The reported pattern highlights how Russia is leveraging its most advanced combat aircraft to strike targets across Ukraine while reducing exposure to Ukrainian air defenses and preserving a scarce high-value asset. Operating from launch corridors linked to Kursk, the Azov Sea region, and Crimea, the Su-57 appears to be functioning primarily as a standoff precision-strike platform rather than a deep-penetration stealth fighter. The use of internally compatible Kh-69 missiles and long-range launch tactics reflects a broader shift toward networked warfare, where survivability, precision engagement, and reconnaissance-strike integration can deliver combat effects without entering heavily defended airspace.
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| Russian Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft is increasingly associated in Ukrainian monitoring reports with standoff missile launches using Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles from Russian-controlled airspace (Picture Source: Rosoboronexport / LiveUaMAP / Edited by Army Recognition Group) |