Ukrainian Forces Capture Rare Russian Stealth Drone Okhotnik, Reports Forbes

According to Forbes, Ukrainian troops in the eastern region of Ukraine recently encountered a rare Russian Okhotnik stealth drone that crashed near the town of Chasiv Yar. This drone, which boasts a wingspan of 65 feet and a jet-powered design, is one of the limited number of units in existence.

The circumstances surrounding the drone’s downfall remain unclear. Ground footage reportedly shows a warplane launching a missile at the Okhotnik, leading to its descent. While it may seem likely that a Ukrainian fighter was responsible for the strike, there is also a possibility that a Russian aircraft engaged the drone. Should the Okhotnik have experienced a malfunction, Russian forces might have opted to destroy it to prevent it from crash-landing largely intact within Ukrainian territory.

Currently, the Russian Air Force are reported to have lost over 100 aircraft, including a Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter, since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. The Okhotnik’s first public appearance occurred in January 2019, when blurry images showed the drone being transported on a runway in Novosibirsk, Russia.

The Okhotnik, whose name translates to “hunter” in Russian, is designed to penetrate enemy defenses and deliver munitions, similar to the US Air Force’s Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bomber. Experts suggest the drone could eventually enter service with the Russian military, although it remains uncertain if sufficient units have been produced or adequately tested to equip a frontline unit fully.

Forbes notes that the deployment of the Okhotnik might be linked to an increasing operational need for advanced surveillance capabilities. Russian forces are reportedly conducting around 300 drone surveillance missions daily in the ongoing war, with a significant portion resulting in the loss of drones to Ukrainian forces.