Ukraine claims first drone evacuation of wounded soldier

Ukraine's 92nd Separate Assault Brigade released video on Monday, Oct. 19, of what it calls the world's first evacuation of a wounded soldier from the front line by aerial drone. The video shows an infantryman strapping himself to a large drone, being flown at low altitude and lowered to the ground, where an operator tells him, "Welcome back to the ground!". The rescue came days after the Associated Press reported that a separate purpose-built medical evacuation drone, SkyFall's StarGate, had been handed to a combat unit for front-line testing.nbcnews.com+1

A bomber adapted for rescue

The soldier, an infantryman from the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade, was wounded at his position. Heavy Russian drone activity and mined ground meant unmanned ground vehicles could not reach him. The brigade's specialists then decided "to attempt something that had never been done before: evacuating a serviceman using an aerial drone".pravda.com.ua+1

They used a heavy hexacopter that Ukrainian manufacturer Gurzuf Defence provided free of charge. Working with the company, the troops modified the drone, originally built as a bomber, so it could carry a person without tipping over or swaying too much. A drone operator from the 30th Brigade flew the mission, and the 14th Mechanized Brigade and the 10th Army Corps also took part. The military has not said when or where the operation took place, though the soldier's life is no longer in danger.militarnyi.com+1

Kharkiv outlet Gwara Media, citing the Kharkiv Military Hospital, reported that the evacuation happened on the Kupiansk axis. It identified the soldier as Kostiantyn, 49, and said he lost both legs to amputation after holding the position alone. "This is a historic event, at least for our unit for sure," said Napalm, a squad commander in the brigade.gwaramedia.com+1

StarGate enters front-line trials

The AP was given exclusive access to a demonstration of SkyFall's StarGate on Oct. 14. The drone has six rotors and a stretcher-based cabin. The company says it can carry up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds), has a one-way range of 15 kilometers, and cruises at 65 kph (40 mph). It uses Starlink along with SkyFall's own L-Link system, plus AI features meant to keep it flying when GPS is jammed. During the demonstration it fired a net to catch an attacking drone. SkyFall estimates each system will cost at least $50,000 and hopes to build up to 1,000 a month by the end of 2026.apnews.com

Why speed matters

The idea came from a commander of the 475th Separate Assault Regiment. A commander in that unit, known as KVN, said ground robots usually need two to three hours to reach a position. SkyFall has not released data on how well StarGate holds up in combat. Separately, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi recently announced an experimental government project to use drones to carry medical supplies between hospitals.nbcnews.com+1

KVN said his unit needs at least a month with StarGate before it can judge the drone. "It's a completely new method of evacuation," he said. "We need to work with it more".apnews.com