#SU-35

Russia’s Su-57 fighter jet has long been advertised by Moscow as the crown jewel of its military aviation, but newly obtained classified documents suggest the aircraft was delivered to the Russian military in stripped-down form—missing critical targeting subsystems—and at inflated costs.

Despite more than a decade of sanctions, Western tech is still powering Russia’s deadliest weapons linked to deliberate strikes on Ukrainian civilians. A new investigation uncovered more than 1,100 foreign-made microchips inside Russia’s most advanced fighter jets: the Su-34 and Su-35.

Russia has begun using its newest long-range air-to-air missile in combat for the first time—and it could shift the aerial battlefield.

A top Russian academic and microelectronics expert has been implicated in a major sanctions-evasion scheme that funneled US-made chips into Russia’s military supply chain, including components used in Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets deployed in the war against Ukraine.