A Russian attack drone was shot down near Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, in an incident of friendly fire on October 5. Initial reports suggested the downed object was a Russian Su-25 or Su-34 fighter jet, often used to carry KAB precision-guided bombs. However, later footage and analysis pointed to the possibility that it was a rare Russian S-70 Okhotnik (Hunter) drone, a state-of-the-art heavy strike UAV.
Videos surfaced on social media showing what appeared to be an aircraft crashing in the skies above Kostyantynivka. Photos later emerged showing wreckage marked with the characteristic red star emblem of Russian aviation.
Serhii Horbunov, head of the Kostyantynivka city military administration, claimed that Ukrainian forces shot down the aerial target, with debris landing in the city’s residential areas, damaging several homes but causing no casualties.
However, information coming later from the Ukrainian Defense Forces source stated that the target might have been shot down as a result of “friendly fire” from Russian forces. Despite early reports identifying the aircraft as a Su-25 or Su-34, some videos depicted two objects in the sky, with the trailing object firing a missile to down the leading one.
Russian military then suggested the downed craft was the S-70 Okhotnik (Hunter), claiming it was lost during testing after its operator lost control. According to these reports, Russian forces shot down the drone to prevent it from being captured by Ukrainian forces.
The S-70 Okhotnik is a new-generation heavy strike drone, often considered one of Russia’s most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles. The loss of this drone would mark the first combat loss of the Okhotnik, a system that exists in only a few prototypes.
With a wingspan of 19 meters and a maximum speed of 1,400 km/h, the S-70 is capable of carrying up to 2.8 tons of weapons in its internal compartments, including guided missiles and bombs. The drone is seen as an essential future component of Russia’s air force, but with only a few units currently in operation, the loss of one represents a significant blow.
While Russian propaganda channels have tried to downplay the loss, framing it as a sign of the country’s robust drone testing program, the destruction of this rare and expensive UAV is a major setback for Russia’s drone warfare efforts.
Post Image Credit – Captures via X
