Ukrainian military evacuates wounded soldier by air drone for the first time
Ukrainian military carried out a unique operation to evacuate a seriously wounded soldier directly from the front line using a heavy aerial drone. Several units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ukrainian drone manufacturer Gurzuf Defence participated in the rescue operation. The successful evacuation was reported on October 19 by ArmyInform.
According to the military, this type of evacuation was conducted for the first time in Ukraine. Participants in the operation also claim a world first, but independent confirmation that no similar cases have occurred in other countries has yet to be obtained.
The wounded soldier could not be evacuated by conventional means
The operation became necessary after a serviceman of the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade sustained severe injuries to both legs and remained at a position under threat of Russian attacks.
Due to high activity of Russian drones and a mined area, evacuating the soldier with a ground robotic system was impossible. Several attempts to transport the wounded man were unsuccessful.
The serviceman named Kostiantyn remained at the position. His comrades supported him by delivering food, water, and necessary medicines by drones.
Subsequently, specialists from the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, other military units, and Ukrainian drone manufacturer Gurzuf Defence were involved in the rescue operation.
Ukrainian Heavy Shot was used for evacuation
The core of the rescue operation was the heavy six-rotor drone "Ayudag-6," also known as Heavy Shot, developed by Gurzuf Defence.
The manufacturer provided the aircraft for evacuation free of charge. Company engineers together with the military adapted the drone's design for human transport.
The main technical challenge was to ensure the aircraft's stability while carrying a non-standard heavy load. The developers needed to prevent excessive swaying and loss of stability during flight.
Before use, the improved drone underwent testing. After that, the military conducted a rescue operation that ended successfully.
Servicemen from the 92nd Separate Assault, 30th and 14th Separate Mechanized Brigades, as well as the 10th Army Corps participated in the evacuation.
The wounded serviceman is undergoing rehabilitation
After evacuation, the soldier was taken to a military hospital in Kharkiv. Doctors performed several operations and stabilized his condition.
According to the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Northern Region, timely delivery of medicines and medical care helped avoid additional severe complications.
The serviceman is currently undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. His life is not in danger. He faces prosthetics and further recovery ahead.
Major General Artem Bohomolov, commander of the 10th Army Corps, confirmed that such an operation was carried out for the first time in Ukraine. However, he noted that he cannot claim whether similar cases have occurred elsewhere in the world.
The successful evacuation demonstrated the possibility of using heavy aerial drones not only for delivering cargo and performing combat missions but also for rescuing the wounded in conditions where ground transport is impossible.
At the same time, this is still a single successful operation rather than the introduction of a mass air evacuation system. The military command has not reported serial use of such solutions.
Sources: 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, ArmyInform, Military Medical Clinical Center of the Northern Region.
