This is the dramatic moment a Russian £11.5 million stealth drone is shot out of the sky by Vladimir Putin’s Su-57 warplane.
Two aircrafts are seen speeding across the sky over eastern Ukraine when the trailing plane fires a missile which hits the one in front.
The attacked aircraft is seen exploding, then falling out of the sky before the shooting plane – now believed to be a hi-tech Su-57 – veers off to the side.
Russian pro-war Z channels initially claimed euphorically that a Ukrainian war plane had been hit by its attack aircraft.
But burning wreckage on the ground in a residential area near Ukrainian-controlled Kostiantynivka shows the downed fuselage to have distinct Russian insignia.
Next, there were reports that the downed aircraft was an Su-25 war plane, and that this appeared a humiliating Russian versus Russian ‘friendly fire’ incident.
Russian Military Informant Telegram channel stated: ‘The enemy is publishing a video of the debris with red stars painted on it. It is believed that there was “friendly fire”.
‘But its cause at such a short distance is unclear – one plane literally shot down the other at point-blank range.’
Ukrainian war journalist Denys Kazansky reported: ‘The Russian military appears to have shot down its own plane again.
‘It fell on Ukrainian-controlled territory near Kostiantynivka.
‘[Pro-war Russian] Z-channels joyfully announced the shooting down of the Ukrainian plane, but unpleasant news awaits them…’
Exilenova+ TG channel channel reported: ‘Su-25 of the Russian Federation shoots down a Su-25 of the Russian Federation over Kostiantynivka. Nice…’
If this version had been confirmed would be one of the most embarrassing friendly fire incidents of the war for Putin.
Yet it soon appeared that the downed aircraft was a military drone, likely an S-70 Okhotnik or Hunter, a Russian stealth 20-ton stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by Sukhoi and the Russian Aircraft Corporation, not seen before in the war.
Russian Fighterbomber Telegram channel insisted: ‘All our planes and crews are home. Alive, healthy and whole.’
There had been no loss of pilots, he said.
Military Informant later updated its report to say: ‘Another video clearly showing the fall of the heavy attack UAV S-70 Hunter over Kostiantynivka.
‘Of course, the interesting question is what it was doing there and why it was shot down by a Su-57 flying behind him. But we are unlikely to find out.’
Another version – in the absence of official claims – was that it was a Ukrainian warplane that had shot down the Russian drone which may have been on a war debut flight, yet there appeared slender evidence for this.
But in a further update Militant Informant said: ‘The most probable reason for the destruction of the Hunter by its own fighter is not an accidental “friendly fire”, but a purposeful decision to eliminate the drone, which due to a technical malfunction could have lost control and started flying towards enemy territory.
‘This explains its appearance behind the front line over enemy territory and the fighter’s hasty turning back, which launched an air-to-air missile at point-blank range at the drone, which was already out of control.’
Russian Z blogger Thirteenth said: ‘A Hunter UAV was shot down. Probably knocked off course.
‘There is no pilot there, so there is no tragedy. We will build another one.’
Yet the wreckage of the Su-57 is now in Ukrainian hands which may give access to some of its secrets.
It is the first loss of such a drone.
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