Russian S-70 UCAV Incident Proves Russia Conducting Covert Strike Missions Over Ukraine

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Written by Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst

On October 5, a rather peculiar incident played out over the Donbass, with a Russian S-70 “Okhotnik-B” (or literally “Hunter-B”) shot down by “friendly fire”. Control over the heavy UCAV (unmanned combat aerial vehicle) was apparently lost, prompting the accompanying fighter jet (most likely a Su-57S) to shoot it down. Initially, the Kiev regime reported that the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) lost a Su-25 CAS (close air support) jet over Konstantinovka and that it was allegedly “shot down” by their air defenses (the standard procedure is to claim it was done by a NATO-sourced system, particularly the extremely overhyped “Patriot”). However, since the settlement is around 20 km behind the frontline, it didn’t make much sense that a CAS jet would go that far, prompting many to question the validity of such claims.

And indeed, we soon got footage of the incident, proving beyond any doubt that not only it wasn’t a Su-25 and that it wasn’t shot down by any SAM (surface-to-air missile) system, but quite the contrary. The Russian VKS flew over the area unopposed, demonstrating that the Neo-Nazi junta’s much-touted NATO-sourced air defenses were unable to detect anything. The footage clearly shows that the S-70 went down due to “friendly fire”. The accompanying fighter jet used a short-range air-to-air missile to shoot down the UCAV (some analysts claim it was an R-73, although this is yet to be confirmed, as the Su-57, the most likely “culprit”, uses the new R-74M2). However, the speculation about the reasons for its downing is no less peculiar than the incident itself, as it opens up a plethora of other questions.

First of all, some of the Neo-Nazi junta sources insist that the S-70 was possibly shot down by their fighter jet. However, this myth is immediately debunked by the simple fact that the UCAV and the accompanying jet were flying in unison, clearly implying that the latter was escorting the drone (and possibly also controlling it in the case of the Su-57). It’s laughable to even think that a Kiev regime jet would accompany an unidentified aircraft just 20 km behind the frontline and then suddenly decide to shoot it down. Thus, it’s clear the Russian VKS shot down the S-70. The second myth that appears to be gaining traction is that the UCAV was “hijacked” by enemy electronic warfare (EW). However, this too can be debunked by the simple fact that this combat drone is just too big to even be detected as unnamed by any radar system.

This brings us to another very important point. Namely, both the S-70 and the accompanying fighter jet almost certainly flew undetected approximately 20 km behind the frontline. This is further reinforced by the simple fact that the Neo-Nazi junta often claims to have “shot down” Russian aircraft flying well beyond the maximum range of its air defenses. Considering how often it lies about the performance of its SAM systems even against Russian hypersonic missiles, this is hardly surprising. However, it clearly shows that the Kiev regime forces are simply unable to control the skies over the territory they claim. And while the incident initially may seem like a setback for Russia, it really is an embarrassment for the Neo-Nazi junta, as it’s not only unable to detect the latest Russian aircraft, but the latter are using weapons unopposed.

Footage from the crash site also proves that the Russian UCAV was indeed armed. Military analysts have detected what appears to be a UMPB D-30SN glide bomb in the wreckage, suggesting that the drone was to conduct a strike mission (for now, it appears there’s only one bomb, further implying it could’ve already dropped at least some of the payload). Some analysts have identified the S-70 in question as bort 74 (official designation S-70-4). Open-source data suggests there are only two such UCAVs, but the numbers could tell a different story. Namely, there could be upwards of half a dozen of these drones already produced and flying (if not more), as the Russian military certainly wouldn’t be sending one aircraft to a combat mission if only two were made. Serial production was initially slated to start in 2025, at the earliest.

However, some sources suggested that this was moved back to the second half of 2024. Although there were doubts about this deadline, particularly as the name S-70 suggests that the UCAV is yet to receive an official military designation, the combat use of such drones might imply it’s indeed ready for mass production. On the other hand, it’s not out of the ordinary for the Russian military to use preproduction prototypes in combat missions, as evidenced by the Su-57 which was used in Syria since 2018 (it officially entered service two years later). And speaking of the Su-57S, as previously mentioned, this incident proves that the next-generation jet is indeed flying covert deep strike missions over Ukraine, further reinforcing serious speculation that it was used in the first confirmed shootdown of a NATO-sourced F-16 in the Kiev regime’s service.

What’s more, Ukrainian analyst Mikhailo Pavliv apparently confirmed that not only was the Su-57 used to down the F-16, but that two might have been destroyed. This is hardly surprising, as even OSINT (open-source intelligence) was able to geolocate their position, so it certainly wouldn’t be a problem for the Russian military to do the same. The fact that the S-70 was lost during a covert strike mission involving a Su-57S shows that this UCAV justified the very purpose of its existence – it’s a far more expendable aircraft than a manned jet, a sentiment shared by prominent military analysts. And while the drone was lost, it provides the Russian military with invaluable combat experience that will allow the implementation of various improvements to the design before it truly enters mass production (a rather unnerving prospect for the Neo-Nazi junta).

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