Deliveries of Russia’s latest heavy Okhotnik drone to the Russian troops are scheduled to begin in 2024, said Andrey Yelchaninov, the first deputy chairman of the Board of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission.

"Okhotnik deliveries to the troops are planned to begin as early as in 2024," he said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, published on Tuesday.

The official reiterated that these drones can operate under control of a fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet pilot.

"These planes and drones can interact not only with each other, but also in various types of combat formations," Yelchaninov said. "Within a very short timeframe, there will be a possibility to control several Okhotnik drones from the Su-57 cockpit."

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Russia’s Aerospace Forces Lt. Gen. Sergei Dronov said last year that during the development of UAVs, special attention is paid to integrating them into a single system with manned aircraft.