Russia appears to have deployed Su-57 stealth fighter aircraft with a frontline unit in the country’s Far East near its quasi-ally China, according to images circulated on social media.
Newsweek has reached out to Russia’s Defense Ministry for further comment by email. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.
Why It Matters
Russia has maintained what President Vladimir Putin described as a partnership “without limitations” with China since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, during which both nations have deepened military ties to counter United States-led alliances in Europe and the Pacific.
As part of its rapid military buildup, China has become the second country after the U.S. to develop two types of stealth fighter aircraft—the J-20 and the J-35A. Meanwhile, the Su-57 remains the only radar-evading fighter jet to have entered service with the Russian military.
Song Zeyi/VCG via AP
What To Know
A Telegram channel affiliated with the Russian Aerospace Forces, Fighterbomber, shared two images on August 21 showing a Su-57 jet flying alongside another of the same type, claiming these were the first stealth jets to enter service with a Russia’s combat regiment.
While the channel did not identify the combat regiment to which the jets were assigned, Guy Plopsky, a defense analyst specializing in Russian military affairs, said both aircraft were presumably part of the Dzyomgi-based 23rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP).
Fighterbomber recently posted this photo of a Su-57 (taken from the cockpit of another Su-57). According to him, these are the first Su-57s to enter service with a frontline (operational) unit. Presumably, he is referring to the Dzyomgi-based 23rd Guards IAP (Khabarovsk Krai). pic.twitter.com/kca9W7q5Xh
— Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) August 22, 2025
Dzyomgi is a Russian air base located northeast of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a city in the Far Eastern region of Khabarovsk Krai, 186 miles from the Russia-China border and 413 miles from Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of Japan, a U.S. security ally.
It was not immediately clear whether the aerial images were captured over the Far East.
The images were shared following a claim by Lieutenant General Alexander Maksimtsev, First Deputy Commander in Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, that the Su-57 aircraft have been equipped with hypersonic weapons, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
Hypersonic weapons are designed to travel at more than five times the speed of sound and maneuver in flight, making them difficult to intercept. Both China and Russia have deployed such weapons, while the U.S. military is working to close the gap with its adversaries.
The U.S. military has deployed F-35 stealth fighter jets in Japan, which is separated from Russia’s Far East by sea. Meanwhile, both Japan and South Korea operate the same type of aircraft.
What People Are Saying
Russian Telegram channel Fighterbomber wrote in a post: “These are the first combat pilots and the first Su-57s to enter service with a combat fighter regiment.”
Lieutenant General Alexander Maksimtsev, First Deputy Commander in Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, said in an interview: “In accordance with the state defense order, the Aerospace Forces annually receive advanced and modernized weapon systems. The pace of deliveries of fifth generation Su-57 aircraft is increasing, along with modern aviation strike systems and hypersonic weapons.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Russia will expand its Su-57 fighter jet units in the Far East.
