Ukraine’s First Drone Evacuation of Wounded Soldier a Historic First

Ukraine has achieved a historic milestone in modern warfare by conducting the first known aerial evacuation of a wounded soldier using a drone. The operation, carried out by the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, involved lifting an injured infantryman, callsign 'Kostya', 18km (11 miles) from the Kharkiv front to safety using a heavily modified heavy-lift hexacopter ^[1].

The soldier was trapped in a mined, isolated position under constant attack from Russian kamikaze FPV drones, making ground-based rescue impossible ^[1]. With no viable alternative, Ukrainian specialists repurposed a bomber drone—manufactured by Gurzuf Defence and dubbed the Ayudag after a mountain in occupied Crimea—to serve as an aerial evacuation platform.

The mission, described as 'extremely dangerous' due to active Russian drone hunting, was protected by a fleet of smaller drones equipped with nets and kamikaze payloads ^[1]. Footage shows the 80kg soldier strapping himself to the drone’s underbelly, with the craft piloted by a commander known as 'Chornyi' from the 30th Mechanised Brigade.

Upon landing, the squad commander radioed: 'Welcome back to earth'—a moment captured in video shared by the brigade ^[2]. The operation was hailed as 'historic' by Napalm, a squad leader and programmer, who called the soldier a 'hero' for agreeing to the mission despite the risks ^[1].

The Ayudag drone, capable of carrying 90kg up to 25km, was modified for human transport, with stability enhancements to prevent swaying ^[1]. Gurzuf Defence, led by CEO Pavlo Feldblyum, provided the drone free of charge and is now producing an upgraded model, the Ayudag-6, which has been officially approved by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence; however, whether it is being produced on an industrial scale for military orders has not been confirmed.

The move comes amid growing pressure on Kyiv from Washington, including restrictions on Starlink and intelligence sharing, while Ukraine continues to innovate in drone warfare ^[2]. The government has also approved an experimental project to use drones for medical logistics, including blood and organ transport.

This breakthrough underscores Ukraine’s rapid advancement in drone technology, now being used not just for attacks but for life-saving operations ^[2]. The story was first reported by Daily Mail and NBC News.