Yeah seen that, hopefully we'll get confirmation/video. If so that would make it the 8th batch in 2025 (!). I guess VKS like their Hellducks, even if in need of improvements.
 
Yeah seen that, hopefully we'll get confirmation/video. If so that would make it the 8th batch in 2025 (!). I guess VKS like their Hellducks, even if in need of improvements.
The the primary and most optimized tactical strike platform, succeeding the likes of the Su-24 and Su-25 in that role. Of course they want a massive fleet of them, especially as the other two strike aircraft I mentioned are diminishing in numbers and eating through their remaining flight hours. The Su-34 is crucial for the current undertaking of the VKS and any future undertaking too.

Quite frankly, the Su-35 and Su-34 are carrying the VKS almost singlehandedly, with cameos from the MiG-31 and Su-57 from time to time. Purely talking about tactical aviation here.
 

It was 7th batch from 10 December ,so that happened twenty days ago .

Седьмая в 2025 году партия Су-34М передана российским военным​



''Мы в плановом порядке завершаем производственную программу 2025 года и уже начали работу по самолетам следующего года.''

'We are completing the 2025 production program as planned and have already begun work on next year's aircraft.''


 
Or it could be like the 91 drones that went to Putin's residence but all got shot down, except Russian MOD telegram channels only reported 89 shot down, only 18 of which were even in the same oblast as said residence, with several refineries hit elsewhere.
 
Quite the amount of A2A kills by Su-35s using R-37Ms
Well, it's only natural. The UAF has been neglected and in poor condition even before 2022. Nowadays their fleet is even worse off, smaller, desperate for parts and all of their best pilots have already bit the dust.

Now if you pit that against a Su-35S, one of the more potent aircraft of it's time, armed with a very long range missile, it's not surprising that anything that gets too cocky gets engaged and then possibly shot down.

The losses stack without a way to replenish them.
 


''It appears that it was shot down over northern Zaporizhzhia Oblast by an R-37 air-to-air missile launched by a Russian Su-35 in the vicinity of Kam'yanka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.''

If the Kam'yanka was the 'launch point' for the Su-35S than there could no be more than 50km of distance to some point in the northern part of that area ?
 
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''It appears that it was shot down over northern Zaporizhzhia Oblast by an R-37 air-to-air missile launched by a Russian Su-35 in the vicinity of Kam'yanka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.''

If the Kam'yanka was the 'launch point' for the Su-35S than there could not be more than 50km of distance to some point in the northern part of that area ?
133 km to the farthest north of zapo oblast. edit: there's other kam'yanka/kamianka around here (2nd image) this one could put it a bit farther
 

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Well, it's only natural. The UAF has been neglected and in poor condition even before 2022. Nowadays their fleet is even worse off, smaller, desperate for parts and all of their best pilots have already bit the dust.

Now if you pit that against a Su-35S, one of the more potent aircraft of it's time, armed with a very long range missile, it's not surprising that anything that gets too cocky gets engaged and then possibly shot down.

The losses stack without a way to replenish them.

It seems it is second or even third UAF Su-27 shot down by the Su-35S ( presumably and most probable) in the last time. On 11 Sept 2025 near Zaporozhiye ,Su-27 was shot down , fighter-pilot Maj. Borovik Alexander Nikolayevich was KIA. Than on 8 Dec, 2025 another Su-27 was shot down with its pilot Lt.Col. Ivanov Yevgeniy Vitalyevich who was also KIA. Now we have this newest case .All of them were from 39th TAB.

@Lepespi

Thanks for the correction.
 
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This is one of the additional results of using R-37M, the warhead is so massive, that the most likely result of being hit is dying on the spot. This does not only causes attrition on the UAF pilot pool, but will certainly give them cold feet when being tasked a mission close to the Russian airspace.
 
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This is one of the additional results of using R-37M, the warhead is so massive, that the most likely result of being hit is dying on the spot. This does not only causes attrition on the UAF pilot pool, but will certainly give them cold feet when being tasked a mission close to the Russian airspace.
They mostly wanted to fly airplanes. Having to use them as weapons is the price they pay for turning that dream into reality; and it’s a shame. The flanker looks best performing a display at an air show than being used as a weapon.
 
Comparison of the aerobatic demo-flights between Su-35S and the old Su-37/Su-27M-11.

''Сергей Богдан рассказал, какие фигуры высшего пилотажа показывает Су-35С на авиасалоне в Дубае.''

''Sergey Bogdan explained the aerobatic maneuvers the Su-35S will perform at the Dubai Air Show.''

Comments and the video from Dubai 2017 :

Source: https://aviation21.ru/sergej-bogdan...azha-pokazyvaet-su-35s-na-aviasalone-v-dubae/

Su-35S and its AL-41F-1S TVC capabilities:

tvc.jpg

This was something really insane ...

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/ScienceNcoolThings/comments/1p4kgye/the_insane_maneuverability_of_su35s/


Su-37 on the Farnborough 1996

View: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1289049189022288


''The Su-37 is powered by two AL-31FU TVC (thrust vector control) turbofan engines. This engine was developed by the Lyulka Engine Design Bureau (NPO Saturn) and is a derivative of the AL-31F twin-shaft turbofan engine on the Su-27. The modular design includes a four-stage, low-pressure (LP) compressor; a nine-stage, high-pressure (HP) compressor; annular combustion chamber and single-stage LP and HP turbines, afterburner and mixer. Each engine provides 83.36kN thrust and 142kN with the afterburner and is steerable from -15° to +15° along the vertical plane.

The thrust vector control is fully integrated into the digital flight control system. The TVC nozzle can be deflected both synchronously and differentially, depending on manoeuvre. The nozzle is connected to the annular swivel and can be moved in the pitch plane by two pairs of hydraulic jacks. The thrust vector control allows manoeuvres at speeds nearing zero without angle-of-attack limitations. The vectoring controls can be operated manually by the pilot or automatically by the flight control system.''

Su-37 TVC.jpg

Of course ,Su-37 had canards besides TVC capability.
 
not actually, there's at least 2 videos of them flying and no info about they being destroyed, but all of flying videos are in day time so maybe there was a deal to let the incursion take maduro or the operation stealthiness was superb
 
New export Hellduck, bort 795.
View attachment 797016


''A new export Su-34 fighter-bomber (tail number 795) destined for the Algerian Air Force (AAF) has been spotted during a test flight at the V.P. Chkalov Novosibirsk Aviation Plant.
This is the third Su-34 to be publicly seen and photographed out of the planned 14 aircraft. As a reminder, Algeria is the first export customer for the Su-34 fighter-bomber, with a contract for 14 units.''

So Su-34ME produced so far are:

703&704 white :

View: https://x.com/OSINTWarfare/status/1967543767201907149


and this 795 white ( blue).
 
Is it safe to assume Venezuela's Su-30 have been destroyed?


"Virtually all the country's maritime and air logistics facilities have been destroyed. There is currently no reliable information about the fate of the Su-30 fighters deployed in Venezuela, previously supplied as part of military-technical cooperation. However, I have information that almost all airfields were destroyed, including those where the F-16 and military transport aircraft were based. Both the air and sea logistics of Venezuela are currently virtually paralyzed, both military and civilian," Stepanov, who is also a senior researcher at the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences said.''


MWM reported this :

U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs Seek and Destroy Venezuela’s Su-30 Fighters at Major Bases - Reports​



''The U.S. Marine Corps deployed F-35B fifth generation fighter aircraft from forward bases in Puerto Rico to spearhead the air campaign launched against Venezuela in the early hours of January 3. The aircraft are reported to have targeted Venezuelan fighter aviation bases hosting Su-30MK2 aircraft, after airspace was cleared by missile strikes on S-300V and Buk-M2 surface to air missile systems. Unconfirmed reports indicate that seven fighters were destroyed on the ground, including both Su-30MK2 and F-16 aircraft.''

 
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Ukrainian sources claim that two Su-30SM (82 red and 12 red) were destroyed by Ukrainian saboteurs at Lipetsk on 20/21 Dec. 2025.

 
Indonesia and Su-35s, a tale as old as time


https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/opini...gram-akuisisi-jet-tempur-indonesia-tahun-2026"

An extract from the article (In Indonesian)

The question is: which country's fighter jets have a high likelihood of being acquired in the 2025-2029 period? American, French, South Korean, or Russian-made? Russian fighter jet acquisition plans can no longer be ignored, as Indonesia has proven unafraid of CAATSA sanction threats, evidenced by the activation of the 11 Su-35 procurement contract in 2025.

It's true that the French-backed salesman that wrote the article is biased, but what does he exactly meant by "activation of the 11 Su-35 procurement contract in 2025?"
 
"activation of the 11 Su-35 procurement contract in 2025?"

Besides number 11 ,number 12 was also mentioned in some sources . In fact, on 14 Feb 2018 ,contract worth exactly 1.154 billion $ for one squadron of Su-35's was officially signed in Jakarta. Squadron of Su-35(S) has 12 fighters. There was a plan to requip 11th sqn of the IdAF with the new Su-35's. It is interesting to note that Indonesian Air Force first showed interest for Su-35 back in 2012.

VKS Su-35S 08 red and the TNI-AU 'Thunder' demo team pilot. Photo from 2015 or even earlier.

Su-35S and IdAF Thunder demo group pilot.jpg
 
In the relation with Venezuelan AF Su-30MK2V and its ASM Kh-31A ,one detail caught my eye. It was during one exercise several years ago.

Aircraft No 3363 in sequence from 2:30 .It seems that 'someone forgot something' . It looks like fuse strip, not sure 100% because that kind of strip is usually red.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03XxnjNSyX4&t=154s


In Russian it is called ПИМ ,Предварительно исполнительный механизм — это часть в взрывателях , or
Pre-actuator is a part of fuses.

Video is from this article ( we can see that on the frist pic ) :

 
In fact, on 14 Feb 2018 ,contract worth exactly 1.154 billion $ for one squadron of Su-35's was officially signed in Jakarta. Squadron of Su-35(S) has 12 fighters. There was a plan to requip 11th sqn of the IdAF with the new Su-35's. It is interesting to note that Indonesian Air Force first showed interest for Su-35 back in 2012.
Discovered something, it was not CAATSA that held the payment, it is was that no appropriate credit line was available. No Financial Institution either domestic or foreign had found ways to circumstance US and Euro market in financing this deal, with MoF acceptable rate.
 
Discovered something, it was not CAATSA that held the payment, it is was that no appropriate credit line was available. No Financial Institution either domestic or foreign had found ways to circumstance US and Euro market in financing this deal, with MoF acceptable rate.
I don't buy that, if they were serious they could have found a way to settle what is a relatively small sum between states. I think this is just an excuse to cover for indonesian (and egyptian btw) leadership being spineless and kowtowing to the americans.
 
Su-30MK2V with one of the most feared ASM in its arsenal ,type Kh-59ME 'Ovod-ME' ( Izd 9M),ASM-18 "Kazoo".

Su-30MK2V with Kh-59ME Ovod-ME.jpg

On this sequence we can see Su-30MK2V equipped with the APK-9ME data-link pod during launch of the Kh-59ME.

Su-30MK2V with APK-9ME launches Kh-59ME.jpg

This almost 1 ton heavy ASM has max launch range of 120 km. Data link container APK-9ME enables guiding the missile in two regimes: flying in the heading of the launched ASM or in the opposite heading, aircraft turns after launch for 180° thanks to two RC channel antennas in the front and the rear of the guidance pod. Max range of the radio-command signals is 140km. TV guidance set is the same as in the ASM type Kh-29TYe.

''For guidance, the two-way datalink is used. On the video channel onboard the carrier aircraft is transferred the target image from the flight course of the missile, and the operator, retaining the target in the crosshairs of the screen of video command device, accomplishes semiautomatic guidance on the radio command channel. Following the successful lock-on of a high contrast object by the TV seeker, it can be transferred into automatic homing mode. Locking the TV seeker to the target is achieved by moving the cursor of the sight over the image of the selected target on the screen (similar to how as is done in computer games), and launching, from the low altitudes and from the significant ranges, out of the lock-on range of the TV seeker.''

So this ASM has inertial guidance with the use of the RC channel in the inital phase and the TV guidance in the terminal phase.Propulsion is dual : start solid rocket propellant booster and the march turbo jet engine RDK-300 with kerosene propulsion.

APK-9E with Kh-59E/ME on its right and the Kh-29TYe on its left side.

apk-9.jpg



 
Su-35S and its landing w/o extracted landing gear .

 
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