Ukraine finds Western components in sophisticated Russian Sukhoi S-70 aircraft

In early October, a strange incident took place over the Ukrainian region of Donetsk between two Russian Air Force planes.

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In that incident, a Russian Su-57 stealth fighter shot down another Russian aircraft, a sophisticated Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik (Hunter) drone, by launching an air-to-air missile. The wreckage of the plane fell in the town of Kontantynivka, in an area controlled by Ukrainian forces. The S-70 is a large drone (about 20 meters in wingspan and 14 meters in length), considered a sixth-generation fighter, that is, theoretically more advanced than Western fighters such as the F-22 and F-35.

For Ukraine, what happened was a great opportunity to get to know the highest Russian technology. In relation to this incident, everything seemed to indicate that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could send the remains of this plane to the US for analysis. However, finally Ukrainian intelligence itself has analyzed this plane and has gotten a surprise, and not exactly a pleasant one.

Yesterday, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR) issued a statement stating: "Analysis of the structure of the Russian S-70 "Hunter" UAV, shot down on October 5, 2024 near Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region, showed that the aggressor state, despite sanctions, used components manufactured by Western companies to create this weapon."

The GUR adds: "In particular, microelectronics and other technological components manufactured by the companies Analog Devices, Texas Instruments and Xilinx-AMD (USA), Infineon Technologies (Germany), STMicroelectronics (Switzerland) were found on the Russian "Hunter." Ukrainian intelligence recalls that "Russia had four prototypes of the S-70 UAV. The cost of one such Russian "Hunter" is about $15 million. The S-70 UAV is, among other things, the carrier of the UMPB D-30 aerial bombs that the Russians drop to destroy Ukraine's civilian infrastructure."

The GUR has published details of the S-70's Western components on the War&Sanctions website. The detailed components are electronic elements such as microcircuits, transceiver microprocessors, digital insulators, stabilizers, etc.

The vast majority of foreign components for the S-70 come from the United States, although there are also components from Germany, South Korea, the Netherlands and Switzerland. This information once again demonstrates Russia's heavy dependence on Western technology. It is to be expected that the security services of the countries mentioned will investigate how Russia was able to obtain these components despite the sanctions.