Sophisticated and mysterious.. What is the Russian drone that it shot down itself and why?

The Independent newspaper said that the Russian Air Force was forced last week to shoot down one of its newest and most advanced attack aircraft, in an incident that is considered one of the biggest embarrassments that the forces have ever suffered.

Videos showed a drone flying near Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine before it was briefly shot down by another Russian jet that was flying alongside, according to a report by Stuti Mishra.

The Russian Air Force has lost a unique drone and the whole incident is shrouded in mystery as Russian sources say that its Su-57 stealth fighter shot down the S-70-4 drone (Russia has only 4 of them) and the wreckage of the drone fell in the Konstantinovka area controlled by Ukraine. It seems that it suffered a technical malfunction?! pic.twitter.com/aueCKEXANM

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The downed drone was no ordinary weapon. It was later identified as an S-70 Okhotnik -B, also known as the Hunter, one of Russia's most advanced stealth drones, designed to escort a Su-57 fighter jet.

To prevent it from falling into Ukrainian hands

Reports indicate that the drone was disrupted, possibly by Ukrainian electronic jamming, causing Russian forces to lose control of it, and was shot down by a Su-57 to prevent it from falling into Ukrainian hands intact. Russian forces also fired an Iskander missile at the crash site shortly after to destroy any remaining debris, the newspaper reported.

However, videos suggest that Ukrainian soldiers have recovered key components from the wreckage, giving them and their Western allies a rare opportunity to study Russia's latest drone technology. Neither Moscow nor Kiev have officially commented on what happened in the skies near Kostyantynivka.

The loss of this drone, according to the newspaper, represents a serious setback for Russia's drone program, and an accurate analysis by experts could provide crucial information to NATO and Ukrainian forces to counter Russian air strategies in this and future conflicts.

Unparalleled

The Okhotnik-B, or Hunter, has been under development since 2011. It is capable of carrying bombs and missiles while remaining under radar, without endangering manned aircraft. It has no direct counterpart in other armies. It is very large, weighing more than 20 tons, and its range is believed to be 6,000 kilometers. Its payload could reach 2.8 tons in its internal weapons bay, according to development plans.

The newspaper pointed out that there is no evidence that Russia was using this aircraft in the war with Ukraine due to the highly effective stealth technologies it uses, especially since it was expected to enter mass production this year, and so far it is believed that only 4 prototypes have been built.

Source: Independent