Russian Su-57 in Moscow region shot down by own air defence after system hack – InformNapalm. DOCUMENT
As a result of cyber interference and cognitive influence on the air defence crew of the BARS Moscow special formation, Ukrainian intelligence services managed to intercept the enemy’s combat-operation algorithms and direct the Russian system’s fire against its own aircraft, a fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet in the Moscow region.
This was reported by the InformNapalm intelligence community, Censor.NET informs.
Intercepted Russian streams
According to InformNapalm, preparations for this unique HUMINT+CYBINT operation began much earlier. As far back as 17 July, investigators gained access to a trove of intercepted data, including live video streams from a training ground where BARS Moscow air defence crews were being trained.
The community’s analysts examined the footage, prepared an analytical report and passed it to the relevant units of Ukraine’s Defence Forces. The document contained:
- Detailed information on the personnel and training levels of the crews;
- The architecture and hardware-software system of BARS Moscow;
- Combat-operation algorithms and the system’s key technical vulnerabilities.
How Russia’s BARS Moscow shot down its own Su-57
The vulnerabilities identified allowed cyber experts not only to monitor the enemy but also to carry out an operational intervention in the system’s operation directly whilst the Russian aircraft was flying overhead.
The impact on the operators and the air defence software loop forced the crew to identify their own state-of-the-art fighter as an enemy target and open fire to destroy it.
"Following an analysis, we managed to identify methods that allowed us to interfere with the operations of one of the ‘BARS Moscow’ crews and use the system created by the Russians against a Russian target itself… Russia developed ‘BARS Moscow’ to defend the capital region from Ukrainian long-range drones. As a result, one of its crews helped to shoot down a Russian Su-57," InformNapalm notes.
The Russian Ministry of Defence’s lie
In an attempt to conceal the fact that the aircraft had been downed by its own air defence, the Russian Defence Ministry released a version claiming that the Su-57 had suffered a "technical malfunction." However, a scandal is already unfolding in the Russian Z-community over systemic sabotage within the country’s own air defence system.
InformNapalm added that the "malfunction" explanation was symbolic, as investigators had released classified documents belonging to a manufacturer of Su-57 components back in 2025 as part of the OKBMLeaks CYBINT operation.
