Ukraine’s military claims to have performed a groundbreaking front-line medical evacuation using an aerial drone. This event marks an apparent first for the country proficient in drone technology.
The Ukrainian Ground Forces’ 92nd Assault Brigade reported on Monday the successful evacuation of a wounded soldier utilizing a heavy-lift aerial drone. The soldier, Konstantyn Vlasenko of the 30th Separate Brigade, had been in a precarious position unreachable by ground forces due to dense mining and intense Russian drone activity for almost 500 days.
According to various Ukrainian news outlets, Vlasenko suffered injuries from a Russian drone and was forced to perform partial self-amputations on both his legs while awaiting rescue. The operation utilized a Ukrainian-made Gurzuf Defence heavy hexacopter, initially designed as an attack drone, to evacuate the soldier. Provided free of charge to the military, the drone was modified to safely transport a person, thanks to the collaborative effort between specialists and the company.
The evacuation was a complex operation involving four different Ukrainian brigades, taking seven days of preparation, whereas the actual rescue lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. During the operation, the drone traversed nearly 40 miles, with Ukrainian units deploying other drones to divert Russian forces.
An image capture shared with CBS News illustrates the wounded soldier being carried by an aerial drone during the evacuation.
Co-founder of Gurzuf Defence, Pavlo Feldbloom, stated their company never intended to develop an exclusive evacuation platform. It was designed as a heavy-duty, modular, multi-mission system. Despite this, they acknowledged the drone’s potential for rescue missions. Feldbloom emphasized that aerial transport should remain a last resort due to inherent risks involved.
A prior attempt to rescue Konstantyn via a ground drone ended in destruction during the mission, highlighting the challenges faced by Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 2nd Mechanized Battalion. Upon landing, Vlasenko described his evacuation as calm and expressed relief at reaching safety.