ReutersWreckage believed to be a Russian Okhotnik or Hunter aircraft discovered in Kostiantyniivka
When two white vapor trails cross the sky near a front in eastern Ukraine, it tends to mean one thing. Russian fighter jets are about to attack.
But what happened near the city of Kostiantyniuca was unprecedented. The lower wake split into two, the new object rapidly accelerating toward the other steam trail, causing them to intersect and a bright orange flash to light up the sky.
Either a Russian fighter jet shot down another plane in a so-called mutual fire 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the front line, as many believed, or a Ukrainian fighter jet shot down a Russian plane 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the front line. Did you shoot it down?
Intrigued Ukrainians soon discovered among the falling debris that they had just witnessed the destruction of Russia’s newest weapon, the S-70 stealth combat drone.
This is no ordinary drone. The heavy unmanned vehicle, named Okhotnik (Hunter), is about the size of a fighter jet but lacks a cockpit. It is extremely difficult to detect, and its developers claim it has “little similarity” worldwide.
While all that may be true, it clearly goes off the rails, and the second trail seen in the video is from a Russian Su-57 jet, apparently following it.
Ministry of Defense of Russia
This old photo from the Russian Ministry of Defense shows a Su-57 jet flying alongside an early version of the Okhotnik combat drone.
The Russian plane may have been trying to re-establish contact with the errant drone, but since both had entered Ukraine’s air defense zone, the decision was made to destroy Okhotnik to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. It is assumed that this was done.
Neither Moscow nor Kiev have officially commented on what happened in the skies near Kostiantyniivka. But analysts believe the Russians most likely lost control of the drone, possibly due to interference by Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.
Many drones appeared in this war, but none like the Russian S-70.
It weighs over 20 tons and is said to have a range of 6,000 km (3,700 miles).
Pierre Krom/Getty Images
Ukrainian investigators quickly arrived at the scene and began examining the wreckage.
Shaped like an arrow, it is very similar to the American X-47B, another stealth combat drone developed a decade ago.
The Okhotnik is believed to be capable of carrying bombs and rockets, attacking both ground and air targets, and conducting reconnaissance.
And importantly, it is designed to work in conjunction with Russia’s fifth generation Su-57 fighter jet.
Development began in 2012, and the first flight took place in 2019.
But until last weekend, there was no evidence that the weapon had been used by Russia in its two-and-a-half year war in Ukraine.
It was reportedly seen earlier this year at Akhtubinsk airfield in southern Russia, one of the launch sites for the Ukraine attack.
Therefore, the unsuccessful flight over Kostiantynivka may have been one of Moscow’s first attempts to test a new weapon under combat conditions.
The remains of Russia’s infamous long-range glide bomb, the D-30, have reportedly been found at the plane’s crash site.
Getty Images
Such a glide bomb in Kharkov caused great death and destruction
These deadly weapons become even more dangerous using satellite navigation.
So what was the Okhotnik doing flying Su-57 jets?According to Kiev-based aviation expert Anatoly Krabchinsky, the fighters were grounded to expand their operational range. It is possible that the signal was transmitted from the base to the drone.
There is no doubt that the failure of the stealth drone will be a major blow to the Russian military. Production was scheduled to begin this year, but clearly the unmanned aircraft is not ready.
It is believed that four S-70 prototypes were built, and the one that was blown over Ukraine may have been the most advanced of the four.
Although destroyed, the Ukrainian military may be able to gather valuable information about the Okhotniks.
“We may be able to find out if it has its own radar to find the target, or if the coordinates of where the munitions will hit are pre-programmed,” explains Anatoly Krapchisnkyi.
He thinks it’s clear from studying images of the crash site that drones have very limited stealth capabilities.
Because the engine nozzle is round, it can be detected by radar. The same goes for many rivets on aircraft, which are probably made of aluminum.
Undoubtedly, the wreckage will be thoroughly investigated by Ukrainian engineers and the findings will be communicated to Western partners in Kiev.
However, this incident shows that the Russians, relying on their vast human resources and conventional weapons, are not standing still.
They are working on new and smart ways to fight wars. And even if you fail today, you may succeed next time.
