Ukraine brigade says heavy drone evacuated wounded soldier from frontline
The 92nd Assault Brigade says a modified hexacopter carried an injured infantryman when mines and enemy drones prevented a ground evacuation.
Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade said on October 19 that it had used a heavy aerial drone to evacuate a wounded soldier from the front line, releasing video of the operation. The brigade called it the world’s first such rescue; that distinction has not been independently established. The unit said the soldier was receiving treatment and rehabilitation.
The video shared by the brigade shows the soldier securing himself to a large drone, being carried at an apparently low altitude over blurred terrain and returning to the ground. The soldier’s face and the operators’ faces were obscured, NBC News reported.
Why the brigade used an aerial drone
The infantryman had been wounded at his position, according to the brigade. It said intense enemy drone activity and landmines made evacuation by a conventional unmanned ground vehicle impossible. The decision to use an aircraft followed from those conditions, as described by the unit; the precise location and time of the evacuation were not disclosed.
The aircraft was a heavy hexacopter originally designed as a bomber by Ukrainian manufacturer Gurzuf Defence, according to NBC News and United24 Media. Specialists had to adapt it to carry a person without tipping or swaying excessively. United24 Media reported that Gurzuf Defence supplied the craft free of charge and that preliminary tests took place at its facilities.
The units involved and the soldier’s condition
United24 Media reported that the operation involved the 92nd Assault Brigade, the 30th and 14th Mechanized Brigades, the 10th Army Corps and Gurzuf Defence. It identified the wounded infantryman as a member of the 30th Mechanized Brigade and said an operator from that brigade piloted the drone. The report attributed its account of the mission to the 92nd Brigade’s unmanned ground systems company, which announced it through its Telegram channel on October 19.
The brigade said the soldier was undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. United24 Media also reported the unit’s assessment that his life was no longer in danger. Neither report identified him or gave details of his injuries.
Ground robots have already been used for wounded soldiers: United24 Media reported that machines operated by Ukraine’s Third Army Corps evacuated more than 600 people during their first year of operations. The brigade’s account describes a different approach for a position it said those vehicles could not reach.
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Sources and context
- Ukraine claims world’s first drone evacuation of wounded soldierNBC News
- Ukraine Claims World’s First Frontline Air Evacuation Using Heavy Drone to Save Soldier, VideoUnited24 Media
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.