Remember when Russia shot down one of its most advanced drones?

In October 2024, media outlets began reporting about a strange incident that occurred over the frontlines in Ukraine. A Russian fighter jet allegedly shot down one of Moscow's most advanced drones.

Video footage emerged online allegedly showing a Russian jet, likely an Su-57 Felon, shooting down what was later identified by several news sources as an S-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter-B) unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV). These details were later reported by the UK Ministry of Defence, 

Photo Credit: Telegram @RVvoenkor

Images of the downed Russian drone’s crash site quickly began circulating online. They appeared to confirm that an S-70 had been downed, but the photos only raised questions about why the Russian weapon was shot out of the sky by what some analysts said was its escorting fighter. 

Photo Credit: X @Military_oO via Telegram @RVvoenkor

Later images showed the twisted metal remains of the Russian drone, which crashed in the Donetsk region roughly 10 miles or 16 kilometers behind the Ukrainian frontlines in the region according to several reports. 

“The engagement occurred near Konstantynivka,” the War Zones reported. “Video shot from the ground shows one jet firing on another at close range, then a shattered flying wing aircraft falling to the ground.”

“Images and video of the wreckage make it undeniable, it was indeed an S-70,” added The War Zone, which also noted that the wreckage of the drone revealed several more secrets that the Russian S-70 was harboring. 

The War Zone reported the downed S-70 was carrying at least one glide bomb and may have been “engaged in some kind of operational trials.” The news outlet suggested Russia was testing the S-70's ability to attack targets in “a contested environment.” 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

“Among the twisted and burnt remains of the drone, the nose cone from at least one example of the UMPB D-30SN winged precision-guided bomb can be clearly made out,” the War Zone reported. 

It was also theorized by the American news outlet that the S-70 was the fourth prototype of the weapon, which has the capability of firing air-to-air missiles. However, the reason why the Russian drone was shot down was only speculated about at the time. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

On October 15th, the UK Ministry of Defense addressed the incident in a war update on the conflict in Ukraine, noting that the S-70 was likely shot down after Russian forces lost control of the vehicle over Ukraine. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

“It is likely Russia waited to the last moment before choosing to engage the UCAV having exhausted attempts to bring it back under control,” the UK Defense Ministry update explained. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

“This demonstrates yet another expensive and embarrassing failure of Russian weapons development and will almost certainly delay the S-70 programme,” the update added. 

The UK Defense Ministry noted that the S-70 has been in development by Sukhoi for at least a decade and was designed to work in tandem with the country’s advanced Su-57 Felon stealth fifth-generation fighter jet. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

Air & Space Forces Magazine noted that one Pentagon source said the loss of an S-70 and the capture of its wreckage by Ukrainian forces would provide “tremendous insight” into the current level of Russian stealth technology. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

The S-70 may be an uncrewed combat air vehicle similar to a drone but the advanced Russian weapon is a large piece of equipment with a wingspan of 65 feet or roughly 20 meters. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

“It was developed over the past 12-14 years, and underwent flight tests between 2019 and 2023. It has been speculated that limited series production was to begin in the second half of calendar 2024,” Air & Space Forces Magazine reported. 

Never miss a story! Click here to follow The Daily Digest.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0