On October 5th, a Russian S-70 “Hunter” (Okhotnik-B) unmanned aerial vehicle crashed in the Kostiantynivka area of Donetsk in Ukraine, which is within the defensive zone of the Ukrainian military. Sources suggest that the drone may have been shot down by a Russian Su-57 fighter jet.
The news of the S-70 drone being shot down first circulated on the social media platform Telegram, with the reason for the incident still unclear, possibly due to friendly fire or intentional destruction of the equipment.
According to reports from The Aviationist website, a short video circulated online showing two aircraft flying upwards in the sky, leaving two trails behind them. Subsequently, another trail of smoke can be seen leaving one of the planes, hitting the one in front, indicating the launch of an air-to-air missile.
Another video captured at the crash site confirms that the targeted and crashed aircraft was indeed the S-70 drone. The S-70 is a Russian-developed unmanned combat aerial vehicle with stealth capabilities, designed to carry out reconnaissance and precision strike missions.
Most sources suggest that the S-70 drone was shot down by the Russian fifth-generation fighter jet Su-57.
The National Interest website reported that the S-70 drone is based on another unmanned vehicle called the Mikoyan Skat and incorporates some technologies from the Su-57 fighter jet, serving as a loyal companion to the Su-57.
It is possible that the Su-57 pilots mistook the S-70 drone for a Ukrainian aircraft and shot it down, as its target seems to have been beyond visual range. This incident could potentially be the latest case of the Russian military shooting down their own equipment.
While friendly fire incidents are not uncommon in conflict zones, the loss of such high-value military equipment will likely impact Russia’s aerial and drone warfare capabilities, as noted by the Defense Blog website.
However, Telegram channels associated with Russia claim that the S-70 drone went out of control, leading the Su-57 pilots to decide to shoot it down. They also mentioned that it was not the final production version of the S-70.
Whether the S-70 drone was mistakenly hit or intentionally targeted remains unconfirmed at this point by Epoch Times, with no official statement or detailed information provided by the Russian military.
The S-70 drone is constructed using composite materials and stealth coating, similar to those used in the Su-57 fighter jet. It has a wingspan of approximately 20 meters, a length of about 14 meters, and weighs close to 20 tons, nearly double the weight of a MiG-29 or an F-16 fighter jet.
Powered by AL-31 turbofan engines also utilized in the Su-27 fighter jet, the S-70 drone has a range of up to 6,000 kilometers and can fly at a maximum speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour.
The first prototype of the S-70 drone was completed in 2018 and successfully conducted its maiden flight in August 2019.