An Su-57 Felon fighter jet flies over Dubai, UAE, during an airshow in November 2025. Despite the Felon’s ostensibly superior capabilities, Russia has had difficulty selling it abroad, with only one confirmed buyer. (Shutterstock/Manoj Kumar Tuteja)

Rejected by India, Russian Officials Are Once Again Pitching the Su-57

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Russian military officials have made a series of audacious claims about the Su-57 Felon’s capabilities—but the Kremlin has failed to put these capabilities to the test in Ukraine.

Just days after India slammed the door shut on the Russian-made Su-57 Felon fifth-generation stealth fighter, Kremlin officials have responded by once again praising the capabilities of the aircraft. The Su-57 has been repeatedly touted to potential foreign customers including India, at numerous air shows, trade exhibitions and other events in recent years. However, Algeria remains the only confirmed foreign buyer to date.

Given the failure to find any interested parties for the aircraft, Russian officials are rerunning a familiar playbook—hyping up the aircraft’s capabilities to potential buyers in the developing world.

This week, Russian Air Force Commander and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Sergey Kobylash suggested the Su-57 was a key element in achieving air superiority, Russian state media outlet TASS reported. Kobylash’s comments were made during a ceremony marking the Russian Air Force’s 114th........

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