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Last week, the Russian Air Force was forced to shoot down one of its newest and most advanced attack drone models, an incident considered one of the biggest embarrassments the Russian Air Force has ever suffered.

On October 5, videos showed a drone flying near Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine before it was shot down by another jet that briefly flew alongside it. Initial reports suggested it was either a Russian jet shot down by the Ukrainian Air Force or a Russian jet that lost control and was shot down by Moscow.

However, the dropped drone was not an ordinary weapon. It was later identified as the S-70 Okhotnik-B stealth drone, also known as the Hunter, one of Russia’s most advanced stealth drones designed to accompany a Su-57 fighter jet.

The drone reportedly malfunctioned, possibly due to Ukrainian electronic interference, causing Russian forces to lose control of it. To prevent the intact drone from falling into Ukrainian hands, the Su-57 shot down the drone in mid-air.

Shortly afterwards, Russian forces fired an Iskander missile at the crash site to destroy any remaining debris.

However, videos suggested that Ukrainian soldiers had already recovered key components from the rubble, giving them and their Western allies a rare opportunity to study Russia’s latest drone technology.

The loss of the Okhotnik is a major setback for the Russian drone program. If Ukrainian experts can thoroughly analyze the drone, it could provide NATO and Ukrainian forces with crucial information to counter Russia’s air strategies in this and future conflicts.

Neither Moscow nor Kiev have officially commented on the events in the sky near Kostiantynivka.

The Okhotnik-B, or “Hunter,” in development since 2011, is an unmanned vehicle that can carry bombs and missiles while remaining under the radar without endangering manned aircraft.

The drone is not believed to have a direct equivalent in other military units. It’s very large – it weighs more than 20 tons and is said to have a range of 6,000 km (3,700 miles). According to the development plans, the drone should be able to transport up to 2.8 tons in its internal weapon compartments.

So far there has been no evidence that Russia used it in the two-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine – in part because it used highly effective stealth technology, which made the aircraft significantly more difficult to detect. This is achieved by designing the vehicle to deflect radar waves and using special materials that absorb them.

The drone was expected to enter mass production later this year, and only four S-70 prototypes are reported to have been built so far since 2019. Initial inspections revealed some design flaws, including engine nozzles and visible rivets, both of which make it easier for radar systems to detect the drone.

It is possible that last week’s mission was Russia’s first Ukrainian deployment of its most advanced prototype to date – failure would mean the unmanned aircraft is not yet operational.

The rubble could contain important information for Ukraine. “Perhaps we will learn whether it has its own radar to find targets or whether the munitions are pre-programmed with coordinates of where to attack,” Anatoliy Khrapchysnkyi, a Kiev-based aviation expert, told BBC News.