Ukraine: In the Ukraine conflict, Russia's 'most powerful' fighter jet Sukhoi Su-35 has been used with varying degrees of success. While Ukraine claims it has shot down some Su-35 fighter jets  Russia maintains that crucial military infrastructure of Ukraine was destroyed by the state-of-the-art aircraft.

The Russian ministry claims that recently, in what Moscow referred to as a special military operation in Ukraine, a Russian Su-35 fighter reportedly destroyed a Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft missile launcher close to Kramatorsk.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov, issued the following statement on 28 July.

An S-300 anti-aircraft missile launcher was destroyed in the Kramatorsk region by a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35S multirole fighter jet.

In addition, he said that within the past 24 hours, Russian fighter jets, missiles and artillery units had attacked six ammunition depots for the Ukrainian army in the Mykolaiv and Donetsk regions.

However, the ministry failed to provide any convincing evidence that the Su-35 had destroyed the air defense systems. According to a previous ministry claim, three Ukrainian warplanes were reportedly shot down by Russian Su-35S fighter jets in the Donetsk region.

On 10 July, the ministry reported that two Ukrainian Su-25s in Barvenkovo, Kharkiv region and Troitskoye, as well as a MiG-29 near Krasnoploy, were shot down by Russian Su-35S fighter jets.

Russian plans to invade Ukraine rely heavily on Su-35 aircraft. The Su-35 was flown from the Russian Far East to the Belarusian border with Ukraine before the start of the armed conflict.

According to a statement made by Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, Belarus received two battalions of S-400 air defense systems and 12 Sukhoi-35 fighters in January 2022 to participate in a joint exercise.

The S-300 is an important defense system for the Ukrainian military. At the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Ukrainian Army, Air Force and Navy received significant amounts of air defense equipment.

The Ukrainian Air Force received six brigades, four regiments and a cascade of additional S-300s, which the army had taken control of.

Su-35 jets: a setback to China and Russia

Despite acclaim as one of the best dogfighters, the Su-35 suffered several setbacks during the conflict, reducing its reputation. As previously reported by The Eurasian Times, the plane gained attention after it was allegedly shot down by Ukraine.

On 3 April, the first Su-35S Flanker-E was shot down near Izium in the Kharkiv region. The plane is believed to have been brought down by an anti-aircraft missile fired by the Ukrainian Air Force.

Around Nova Kakhovka on July 19, Ukrainian forces reportedly shot down a Russian Su-35. A Ukrainian MiG-29 is said to have shot down a Russian Su-35 in an incident in the Kherson area on 27 May.

Russia reportedly lost a Su-35 for the second time in a conflict with Ukraine.

Additionally, it can be speculated that the United States and the United Kingdom may have "materials" from the downed Sukhoi Su-35 to analyze and prepare defenses against Russia's second most advanced fighter-bomber.

The shooting down of Su-35 fighter planes is also believed to be a big blow for China. The PLAAF also uses the Su-35S, also known by its NATO designation Flanker E. As of April 2019, all deliveries had been made to Beijing.

The Su-35S is a single-seat, all-weather fighter that can fly either day or night. It is effectively protected from contemporary electronic countermeasures such as active and passive jamming.

Depending on their size, the sophisticated Irbis-E passive electronically scanned array radar can track up to 30 targets at a range of approximately 217 miles.

The Su-35's arsenal includes a 30mm autocannon and 12 external hardpoints with a payload of 17,630 pounds. It can fire a variety of air-to-air, air-to-surface, anti-radiation and anti-ship missiles, in addition to laser and satellite-guided bombs.

Six short-range air-to-air missiles and 12 air-to-air missiles beyond visual range can both be carried by aircraft. Its exceptional maneuverability and quick agility are due in large part to the twin Saturn AL-41F1S thrust-vectoring turbofan engines.

The top altitude and speed of these engines are 59,000 feet and 1,550 mph, respectively. Canard wings were added to the nose of the aircraft, allowing for more flexible maneuvers without the need for a major overhaul of the airframe.

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