In heavily mined terrain and surrounded by Russian kamikaze drones, 'Kostya' was hoisted by a Gurzuf Defence heavy UAV and guarded to safety by a fleet of smaller drones.
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🔴 HISTORIC FIRST: Ukrainian forces completed the first-ever aerial evacuation of an injured soldier from the frontline using a drone.
Soldiers from the 92nd Assault Brigade and 30th Mechanized Brigade used a heavy Gurzuf Defence hexacopter to rescue the wounded infantryman from a heavily mined area. October 19, 2026
The above video starts with the Ukrainian drone locating the soldier, callsign ‘Kostya,’ in enemy territory. Various media reports suggest he was 11 miles (18km) behind enemy lines, at the mercy of Russian kamikaze drones, and perilously located in a minefield. Traditional land-based rescue was therefore not possible, but Kostya bravely agreed to be part of the first-ever human drone-lift rescue plan.
After being located, the injured infantryman clipped himself into a harness. He said, “That’s it, we can take off,” when he was fully buckled into the rudimentary-looking harness. UAV operator , callsign ‘Black’ from the 20th Mechanized Battalion, 30th Infantry Brigade, then appeared in the video and explained: “We were constantly in touch with him."
Drone capable of carrying 130kg (~287 pounds)
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/drones/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/drones/ukraine-rescues-wounded-soldier-using-hexacopter-drone-in-daring-first-heavy-lift-uav-brought-the-injured-infantryman-11-miles-back-to-safety#main
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.