Ukraine says it carried out first drone airlift of wounded soldier from front line
The brigade said the modified heavy hexacopter carried the wounded infantryman out after ground evacuation became impossible because of mines and enemy drones.
- On Monday, October 19, 2026, Ukraine's 92nd Assault Brigade evacuated a wounded soldier from the front line using a heavy aerial drone, calling it the world's first such aerial rescue operation.
- A wounded soldier from the 30th Mechanized Brigade was stranded in a position where intense Russian drone activity and heavily mined terrain prevented conventional ground robotic evacuations.
- Specialists adapted a Ukrainian-made Gurzuf Defence heavy hexacopter, originally configured as a bomber, to carry the wounded serviceman, while a drone operator from the 30th Mechanized Brigade piloted the aircraft.
- "The operation was successful – the wounded man was rescued! He is now undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, and his life is no longer in danger," the brigade reported.
- SkyFall recently began testing its purpose-built StarGate evacuation drone, expected to cost at least $50,000, with production targeted at up to 1,000 units per month by the end of 2026.
227 Articles
227 Articles
Trapped in a minefield and surrounded by Russian drones, a wounded Ukrainian soldier was rescued in a wild aerial operation that has reportedly never happened before.
The Ukrainian soldier, volunteer Kostyantyn Vlasenko, who became the first person to be evacuated using a UAV in the war spent 491 consecutive days at his position in a concrete drainage pipe
His comrade was killed in a Russian attack, and Vlasenko suffered significant injuries, forcing him to amputate both of his legs himself with an ordinary knife. He survived on water and food delivered by Ukrainian drones.Soldiers remaining...
Ukrainian Soldier Survives 200 Days on Frontline After Amputating His Own Leg
Internewscast Internewscast Ukrainian infantryman Kostiantyn Vlasenko amputated his own leg after spending more than… This Post: Ukrainian Soldier Survives 200 Days on Frontline After Amputating His Own Leg first appeared on Internewscast
Wounded Ukrainian Soldier Rescued From Front Lines By Aerial Drone
In what Ukraine's military is calling a historic first, a soldier who suffered injuries to both legs on the battlefield was flown to safety by an unmanned aerial drone. His fellow servicemen say the soldier is "a hero" who didn't hesitate to strap himself to the hexacopter drone and fly at low altitude to reach his unit.
Ars Technica
online-listing.comUkraine’s drone rescue of wounded soldier puts much touted idea into practice
Ukraine’s latest drone innovation may boost bleak odds of evacuating casualties.
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