"The operation succeeded, saving the injured soldier. He is undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, his life no longer at risk," announced the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) unit of Ukraine's 92nd Independent Assault Brigade on 19/10, though the time or location of the rescue was not specified.
An accompanying video showed a large Ayudag-6 drone landing on the ground. A person in combat uniform then hooked a winch cable from the device to himself and was lifted into the air.
Gurzuf Defence, the drone manufacturer, stated that before being injured, the soldier had been stationed for nearly 500 days in a frontline position under constant threat, inaccessible by conventional methods, including ground drones. "Any attempt to reach the injured soldier could result in the death of the rescue team," Gurzuf Defence added.
His comrades maintained contact with the injured soldier, using drones to deliver food, water, ammunition, and medicine.
The rescue team delivered specialized equipment with a hook to the soldier, then deployed a winch-equipped drone. Under remote guidance, the soldier hooked himself into the evacuation system. Gurzuf Defence described this as an unprecedented mission. The drone then transported the soldier to a safe location, where medics transferred him to a hospital.
The rescue effort lasted nearly 75 minutes, covering a distance of 62 km. "This was an extremely complex but successful operation. A historic event," said Napalm, a programmer from the 92nd Brigade involved in preparing the operation.
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An Ayudag-6 UAV uses a winch to lift an injured soldier into the air. Photo: Ukraine's 30th Independent Mechanized Brigade |
An Ayudag-6 UAV uses a winch to lift an injured soldier into the air. Photo: Ukraine's 30th Independent Mechanized Brigade
Ukraine has long used ground robots to evacuate injured soldiers from the battlefield. This marks the first time, however, that the country has published images of using a flying drone for such a mission.
Russia and Ukraine have both intensified their use of drones in the ongoing conflict. Both sides have deployed large numbers of combat drones, transforming the battlefield into an area military analysts describe as a "kill zone," where neither side holds a clear advantage.
Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Kyiv Independent)
