New Russian S-70 Okhotnik UCAV shot down over Ukraine

5 October, 2024 The debris of the downed Russian S-70 Okhotnik drone in the Donetsk region. October 5, 2024. Ukraine.

Photo credits: defense-blog.com The newest Russian heavy aircraft S-70 Okhotnik was shot down in Donbas. Ukrainian volunteer Serhii Sternenko released footage of the wreckage of this heavy drone.

It was shot down near the town of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region. Before the plane crashed, the air-to-air missiles were seen in the sky.

Presumably, the new S-70 Okhotnik lost control and was shot down by a Russian fighter jet. "The plane that was catching up with the second one was flying on 2 jet engines, the one that went down was flying on one and had the full tanks," said the Ukrainian military.

The debris of the downed Russian S-70 Okhotnik drone in the Donetsk region. October 5, 2024.

Ukraine. Photo credits: defense-blog.com

This explains its appearance behind the front line and the hasty actions of the fighter jet, which launched an air-to-air missile at the already uncontrolled drone. The Okhotnik program has been under development at the Russian Sukhoi Design Bureau since 2011.

The drone is built according to the "flying wing" scheme. According to the developers' plans, the UCAV will be used to strike the enemy targets without entering the area of operation of its air defense systems of the manned aircraft.