Ukrainian forces have used a heavy drone to fly a wounded soldier off the front line, in what the military says is the first aerial evacuation of its kind anywhere in the world.
The soldier, a 49-year-old infantryman identified only as Kostiantyn, was serving with the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade on the Kupiansk front in the Kharkiv region. He had been holding an observation post alone after his comrade was killed in a Russian strike, and was wounded himself. Several attempts to reach him, including with unmanned ground vehicles, failed because the area was heavily mined and under constant watch by Russian drones.
Drone units from Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Assault Brigade instead adapted a heavy six-rotor drone normally used as a bomber, made by Ukrainian manufacturer Gurzuf Defence, which supplied it free of charge. Troops sent Kostiantyn a video tutorial showing him how to strap himself to the drone, monitored the flight by video call, and provided cover against Russian attacks during the evacuation.
Video released by the brigade on Monday shows the soldier being flown at low altitude and gently set down, as an operator greets him with “Welcome back to the ground!”
While he waited, his unit kept him alive with drone drops of food, water, antibiotics and painkillers. According to the Kharkiv military hospital that treated him, both of his legs were amputated, but he is now recovering and his life is no longer in danger.
“This mission proves once again that Ukrainian service members, working in tandem with Ukrainian manufacturers, are setting global trends in the conduct of warfare,” the brigade said.
Ukraine has relied heavily on ground robots to evacuate wounded troops from areas too dangerous for medics. Several Ukrainian companies are now developing drones built specifically for aerial evacuation.
