Ukraine deploys drone to airlift wounded soldier in 'world-first' operation Ukraine has evacuated a wounded soldier from the front line using an aerial drone in what a Ukrainian army brigade has described as a world-first operation. The successful mission highlights the growing role of unmanned technology in battlefield evacuations as drones continue to shape the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. A representative of the SkyFall drone company climbs into a medical module of the StarGate drone before a demonstration flight at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. © Evgeniy Maloletk, AP Photo Ukraine has rescued a wounded soldier from the front line using an aerial drone, a Ukrainian army brigade said on Monday, describing the evacuation as the first of its kind.
The brigade published a video showing the drone lowering itself to the ground, before a man in combat gear fastens himself to a winch onboard and is lifted upwards. Watch moreResidents of Ukraine's Kramatorsk forced to flee as drone strikes intensify "The operation was successful– the wounded person was saved! He is now undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, and his life is no longer in danger," the drone unit of Ukraine's 92nd Separate Assault Brigade said on Facebook.
Read moreUkrainian drone attack on Saint Petersburg kills one, sets refinery ablaze The drone's manufacturer, Gurzuf Defence, said the man had spent almost a year and a half in a dangerous combat position and was unable to be rescued by conventional means. "Any attempt to reach him would have meant a deadly risk for the rescue team," it said. The drone, an Ayudag-6 hexacopter, "brought the wounded man to a safer position, where he was met by comrades who arranged for his onward evacuation to a hospital", it added.
Ukraine has long used unmanned ground vehicles to evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield, but this was the first reported instance of an aerial drone being used for the same purpose. Read moreUkraine hits Moscow with one of its largest drone attacks in two years The 92nd Assault Brigade's drone unit described the operation as a "world first". Both Russia and Ukraine have made extensive use of drones in the four-and-a-half-year war, which began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The extensive use of combat drones by both sides has turned the battlefield into what military analysts have described as a "kill zone" where neither side has a clear advantage. Focus## Residents of Ukraine's Kramatorsk forced to flee as drone strikes intensify US government behind any slowdown in Ukraine's Starshield system, Musk says 1. 1 ## Chaotic scenes as organisers of French protests claim 800,000 have taken to streets As it happened France 2. 2 ## Macron denounces 'unbridled' violence as France hit by new clashes As it happened Europe 3. 3 ## Israeli settlers attack European delegation convoy in West Bank, beat French mayor Middle East 4. 4 ## Looters seize on massive French protests to raid and vandalise shops France 5. 5 ## Fires and clashes rock France amid massive nationwide protests France 6. 6 ## ‘Standing up for democracy’: Atlanta ‘No Kings’ rally draws Trump critics ahead of midterms On the ground Americas © 2026 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites.
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