Putin's Warplanes Just Took a $250M Hit - Jason Jay Smart

Ukraine says drones hit Russian Su-57 stealth fighters and a Su-34 fighter-bomber at Shagol airfield in the Chelyabinsk region, about 1,700 km (1,056 miles) inside Russia. The reported strike puts one of Moscow’s rarest aircraft targets deep in the Urals, far beyond the front line, and challenges the belief that distance protects Russia’s most valuable air assets.

The Su-57 is Russia’s prestige stealth fighter. The Su-34 is a major strike aircraft used in attacks on Ukrainian cities, infrastructure, and frontline positions. If Ukraine can reach warplanes like these at Shagol, Russia’s rear airbases, repair hubs, air-defense layers, and command assumptions are no longer protected by geography. This kind of deep strike forces every Russian airbase commander to recalculate risk, especially as Moscow prepares Victory Day under tighter security.

Jason Jay Smart, PhD, breaks down what the reported Shagol strike reveals about Russia’s exposed rear airbases, Ukraine’s expanding drone reach, and the pressure now facing Putin’s air force far inside Russia. Subscribe for serious pro-Ukraine geopolitical analysis on Russian warplanes, Moscow’s military vulnerabilities, Putin, NATO, the Kremlin, and the consequences of this war for Ukraine, Europe, the United States, and the wider West.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro: Russia's Unavoidable Routine Defeats
01:27 - Elite Rubble: Ukraine Humiliates Putin's Rare Tech
03:50 - Costly Failures: Putin’s Multi-Million Dollar Losses
06:17 - Parade Panic: Ukraine Targets the Kremlin's Legitimacy
08:29 - Oil Crisis: Corruption Bleeds Russia's Economy
10:24 - Total Defeat: Russian Army Loses Territory