Overview
- Russian sources and Ukrainian reporting say a long-range Ukrainian kamikaze drone strike hit the Gazpromneft-ONPZ refinery in Omsk despite Russian fighters being scrambled to defend the target.
- Photos and open reports show a Su-57 operating over Omsk with an external 101KS-N electro-optical pod and short-range R-74/R-73 missiles, a rare outward fit that trades stealth for close-range drone hunting.
- Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down a Russian Su-35 in the east, and a Kremlin-aligned military blogger acknowledged the loss and said the pilot survived and returned to base.
- Independent verification of specific shoot-downs, damage totals and cumulative loss figures remains limited, but Moscow is still producing and delivering Su-35s according to state-linked industry reports.
- The shift to using Su-57s in a visible anti-drone configuration and Ukraine’s deep-strike drone reach increase pressure on Russian air defenses and could force Moscow to change tactics, procurement or basing to protect infrastructure and pilots.