On October 5, 2024, the Ukrainian army announced that it had "shot down" the S-70 stealth heavy unmanned aerial vehicle of the Russian Aerospace Forces, namely the "Okhotnik" unmanned aerial vehicle. This unmanned aerial vehicle is the world's first artificial intelligence heavy unmanned aerial vehicle, integrating top-notch technology and design concepts, marking a major breakthrough for Russia in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles.
However, regarding the details and causes of this incident, there are different claims. The Ukrainian side changed its statement several times. Initially, it may have claimed that it shot down the Su-34 bomber, and finally confirmed that it was the S-70 unmanned aerial vehicle, and claimed that the wreckage had been found in the area controlled by the Ukrainian army. The Russian side insisted that the S-70 crashed due to a technical malfunction and was not shot down. It even came up with an astonishing statement: The Su-57 fighter jet shot it down as a last resort to protect the S-70 from further damage.
In addition, there are videos and photos showing that a fighter jet used a short-range air-to-air missile to shoot down an unmanned aerial vehicle in eastern Ukraine. The entire destruction process was recorded on video, and the wreckage crashed in Konstantinovka in the area controlled by Ukraine.
This incident quickly caused a stir in the international community, not only because of the advanced nature of the S-70 unmanned aerial vehicle, but also because it triggered extensive discussions on issues such as the ethics of unmanned aerial vehicle combat and the weaponization of artificial intelligence.
