Ukraine evacuates wounded soldier from frontline by heavy-lift drone
Ukraine says it has carried out its first aerial evacuation of a wounded soldier using an unmanned aircraft, marking a new approach to retrieving troops from dangerous frontline positions. The soldier, known by the callsign Kostya, was stranded alone on the Kharkiv front, where mines and Russian drones made a ground rescue too risky.
A modified Heavy Shot bomber drone lifted the 80kg soldier using a harness and flew him 18km to an evacuation point, escorted by other Ukrainian drones. The Ayudag aircraft, made by Gurzuf Defence, can carry up to 90kg for as far as 25km; the company donated it for the mission. Kostya is receiving treatment and rehabilitation, and Ukrainian commanders say they want to make such evacuations routine.
- Ukraine used a bomber drone to evacuate a wounded soldier.
- The soldier was carried 18km from the Kharkiv frontline.
- The aircraft can carry up to 90kg over 25km.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Ukraine carries out first ever aerial drone evacuation of a wounded soldier from the frontline”.