Russia likely shot down one of its own rare combat drones to try to stop it from falling into enemy hands, UK intel says

Ukrainian soldiers inspecting parts of a Russian aircraft in eastern Ukraine on October 5.

A Russian heavy-combat drone that crashed in Ukraine this month was shot down by Russia, likely in an effort to stop it from falling into Ukrainian hands, the UK’s Ministry of Defense said.

Early this month, footage began circulating on social media of an aircraft believed to be one of Russia’s rare S-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter) drones falling out of the sky over Ukraine.

Its wreckage landed in Kostyantynivka, a city close to the front line in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

Multiple theories about the cause of the crash circulated among Russian sources, the Washington, DC, think tank Institute for the Study of War said.

Among them was the idea that it had been shot down in a bungled attack or that Russia had somehow lost control of it and had deliberately shot it down itself.

On Tuesday, UK intelligence said that it’s likely that Russia, having lost control of the drone, “took the decision to destroy the aircraft to avoid it falling into enemy hands.”

It said that Russia probably waited until the last moment in the hope of regaining control.

A Russian S-70 drone taking off at an unidentified location in August 2019.

The S-70, a heavy-combat drone intended to have stealth capabilities, has been in development for at least a decade. With a 65-foot wingspan, it is believed to have been designed to operate in conjunction with Russia’s Su-57 fighter jets.

Russia is believed to have produced only two S-70s to date, according to the Institute for the Study of War, making it a significant prize for Ukraine and its NATO partners, including the US.

Footage posted on social-media accounts purported to show Ukrainian forces gathered around a relatively intact — and therefore likely useful — portion of the downed drone.

Nations often go to extreme measures to try to protect their military secrets and sensitive tech.

Samuel Bendett, an expert on drones and Russian defense with the Center for Naval Analyses, told B-17 last week that the apparent loss of the drone was a “significant win” for Western intelligence.

“Presumably it has top resources and investments, materials and products, including microelectronics and other key components,” he said.

The fact that there are so few S-70s means the loss could also slow its development, though Russia is unlikely to stop it altogether, he added.

Among the theories circulating online was that a Russian Su-57 had brought the drone down, something the UK MOD did not comment on.

However, it suggested the loss would be keenly felt by Russia.

“This demonstrates yet another expensive and embarrassing failure of Russian weapons development and will almost certainly delay the S-70 programme,” it said.