Attack on the Akhtubinsk military airfield in Russia: Su-34 fighter-bomber was damaged

Defense forces struck the Russian military airfield Akhtubinsk in the Astrakhan region and damaged a Su-34 fighter-bomber. The military portal Military reported this. It noted that the strike took place on the night of August 20th. The Telegram channel Absolutely Reliable Source published a satellite image showing at least two impact points within the military airfield. The strike reportedly a Su-34 frontline bomber with fuel spilled nearby. The report states that after the shelling, the Russians moved the remaining aircraft around the airfield or evacuated them to other bases. It is noted that analysis of the camouflage of the damaged aircraft indicates that it is an export version of the Su-34E. Military reported that this is most likely a flying laboratory based on a Su-34 or a primer coating applied to new aircraft before painting. Flying laboratories are used to test new onboard systems, aircraft weapons, and electronic equipment in real-life flight conditions. As reported, this is not the first strike by the defense forces on this airfield. On June 8th, 2024, at the Akhtubinsk airfield in the Astrakhan region of Russia, Ukraine first hit Russia's most advanced Su-57 fighter jet. At that time, the American publication The War Zone published satellite images of the damaged aircraft, which showed significant damage. The main intelligence directorate previously released satellite images, but only of one fighter jet. The agency noted that the Akhtubinsk airfield is located approximately 620 [music] km from the frontline. The Su-34 was supposed to be Russia's answer to the F-15E [music] Strike Eagle, a twin-seat, twin-engine tactical bomber capable of delivering precision-guided munitions deep behind enemy lines while defending itself in air-to-air combat. Instead, it has become the most destroyed Russian combat aircraft of the entire war in Ukraine, a grim distinction for a platform that entered service with such promise. The Su-34, NATO reporting name Fullback, is one of the most unusual combat aircraft in the world. Its flattened nose, which gives it a vaguely duck-billed profile that earned it the nickname Platypus among Russian crews, houses a Leninets V004 passive phased array radar and a rear-facing radar in the tail stinger for missile approach warning. On paper, the Su-34 is formidable. 12 hardpoints carrying up to 8,000 kg of ordnance, including KAB-500 and KAB-1500 guided bombs, >> [music] >> Kh-29 and Kh-59 air-to-surface missiles, and R-73 and R-77 air-to-air missiles for self-defense. In Russian military doctrine, it was designed to replace the Su-24 Fencer as the VKS's primary tactical strike platform, flying deep interdiction missions against NATO infrastructure in the event of a European war. The numbers tell the story with merciless clarity. At least 41 Su-34s have been confirmed destroyed in combat since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, approximately 25% of Russia's entire Fullback fleet. >> [music] >> That is not attrition. That is hemorrhage. The losses have come from every direction. Ukrainian Patriot batteries, operating from well behind the front lines, have picked off Su-34s at medium altitude as they attempt to launch glide bombs. NASAMS and IRIS-T systems have caught them closer to the front. The recent Marinovka strike demonstrated that even parked aircraft hundreds of kilometers inside Russia are not safe from long-range drone and missile attacks. British intelligence reported in early 2026 that Russia had lost over 30 Su-34s to combat alone, not including operational accidents, maintenance failures, and the growing number of aircraft grounded for lack [music] of spare parts. The true operational loss rate may be significantly higher than the confirmed combat figure suggests. >> [music]