Ukrainian drones struck Russian Su-57 and Su-34 military aircraft at the Shagol airfield in the Chelyabinsk region, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian statement, the operation was carried out on April 25 by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces. The target was located about 1,700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, in one of the longest-range actions attributed to Ukrainian drones against Russian military infrastructure.
According to the General Staff of Ukraine, “several Su-57 fighters and one Su-34 fighter-bomber” were hit at the airfield. Ukrainian authorities said the extent of the damage to the aircraft is still being assessed.
Later, Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, stated that the action had allegedly hit two Su-57s, one Su-34 and a fourth aircraft from the Sukhoi family that has not yet been identified.
Analysts from the Exilenova+ group released satellite images of the Shagol airfield recorded on April 26. According to the group, the images indicate the locations where the aircraft were positioned before being removed from the area after the attack.
BREAKING:
Ukrainian long-range drones have destroyed 4 Russian fighter jets at Shagol Airfield in the Chelyabinsk region nearly 1800 km from the frontlines.
2 top-modern Su-57 fighters were destroyed along with a Su-34 fighter-bomber and another unidentified Sukhoi jet pic.twitter.com/DAcDLY4Gyf— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 1, 2026
Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported on April 25 that Ukrainian drones had attacked the Chelyabinsk region. Russian regional authorities, however, said the attempted attack had been repelled and did not report any damage or casualties. So far, Moscow has not confirmed any aircraft losses at the Shagol airfield.
The case is significant because of the type of aircraft involved. The Su-57 is presented by Russia as its most advanced fifth-generation fighter, while the Su-34 is used as a fighter-bomber in strike missions. According to estimates cited by Ukrainian sources, a Su-34 can cost between US$35 million and US$50 million, while the Su-57 can reach US$100 million to US$120 million per unit.
This is not the first episode involving Ukrainian attacks against Su-57 aircraft on Russian territory. In 2024, Russia acknowledged that Ukrainian drones had hit aircraft of this model at the Akhtubinsk airfield in the Astrakhan region.
Source and images: Militarnyi | Exilenova+ | General Staff of Ukraine Telegram @GeneralStaffZSU | Wikimedia | X @visegrad24. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
