Russia shoots down its own Okhotnik drone and tried to cover it up by launching missile - Forbes
Photo: prototype of the Okhotnik UAV (mil.ru)
Russia's newest drone, the S-70 Okhotnik (Hunter), likely went out of control over Ukraine. As a result, it was shot down by the Russian Su-57 fighter jet that was accompanying it, Forbes informs.
According to the media outlet, right after the drone crashed, the Russian forces launched an Iskander missile at the crash site. This was done to destroy the wreckage. As Forbes notes, there are several reasons why Russia would want to prevent the West from studying the drone's parts.
In particular, the downing of the S-70 Okhotnik could be one of the biggest failures ever experienced by Russia's Aerospace Forces, if not worse.
"These missiles are scarce and expensive, and diverting one from the campaign against Ukrainian cities suggests that this was a high-priority target," the source states.
Despite Russia's attempts to cover up the traces, Ukraine was able to recover key components of the S-70 drone for analysis. From the wreckage, valuable information can likely be obtained. This information could potentially undermine the S-70's stealth capabilities, making the drones less effective.
Additionally, the West could likely learn the reason for the S-70 Okhotnik's malfunction and gain insights into how to defeat the Su-57.
Another explanation for why Russia wanted to destroy its drone’s wreckage with the Iskander missile is to hide its own false claims about its advancements in stealth technology.
"Given Russia’s culture, it is quite possible that even senior commanders are not aware of these shortcomings in their stealth technology... The Russian leadership may be about to find out that their expensive, much-hyped invisible drone is not in fact stealthy at all. And they will find out by reading it in the public media," the article adds.
What preceded
Recently, reports surfaced in the media that an aerial target was shot down in the skies near Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region. Initially, it was assumed that the target was a Su-25 or Su-34 (carriers of KAB bombs), but later videos supported the version that it was the Okhotnik unmanned aerial vehicle.
For more details on what makes this drone unique and the significance of its downing for Ukraine, read the RBC-Ukraine material.
