Ukraine Rescues Wounded Soldier With Heavy Lift Drone

A Ukrainian soldier who spent months stranded in a contested area of Kharkiv region has been rescued through an aerial evacuation using a heavy lift drone, according to Ukraine's 92nd Assault Brigade. The operation, completed on October 4, brought 49-year-old Konstantin Vlasenko from an isolated position near the left bank of the Oskil River to medical care after land routes became inaccessible because of mines and Russian drone activity.

Ukrainian military sources described the mission as the first aerial evacuation of a wounded soldier directly from the front line using a transport drone. The operation combined an unmanned aircraft capable of carrying a person, supporting surveillance drones, artillery cover and a ground robotic vehicle to move Vlasenko through several stages to safety.

According to the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, Vlasenko, a member of the 30th Mechanized Brigade known by the call sign Magura, became trapped after a Russian drone strike on February 14, 2026, severely injured both his legs. Unable to escape the abandoned building where he was sheltering, he amputated the damaged portions of his legs below the knees to prevent fatal blood loss.

Attempts to reach him by land failed. Russian surveillance drones, minefields and exposed terrain prevented infantry teams from approaching, while a robotic ground vehicle sent to retrieve him was destroyed before reaching his position. His unit continued supplying him with food, cigarettes and sweets by drone every four or five days while maintaining radio contact.

The rescue team selected the Heavy Shot Ayudag-6, a six-rotor aircraft with a reported payload capacity of up to 130 kilograms and a winch. Before the mission, operators delivered a harness, carabiners and a phone containing video instructions. Vlasenko had to secure himself to the cable in a semi-seated position without assistance at the pickup point.

Alex, the intelligence officer coordinating drone operations for the 2nd Mechanized Battalion, described the soldier's response when the aircraft arrived.

"When the drone approached, he acted with precision and speed. No panic, no delay: everything happened in a few seconds," Alex said.

The team planned the flight around periods of reduced enemy drone activity and organized a diversion to protect the slow-moving aircraft. Units from the 14th and 43rd Mechanized Brigades and the 10th Army Corps supported the operation, while Vampire heavy drones attacked nearby areas to draw attention away from the evacuation route. One Vampire was shot down, according to the Italian report.

Alex explained how the timing was chosen to reduce the danger from hostile aircraft.

"We analyzed the data to calculate when enemy drone activity was at its lowest, and decided to fly at dawn, during the transition from darkness to light," Alex said.

The Ayudag-6 pilot, identified by the call sign Chornyi, said the aircraft first flew to an intermediate point where its batteries were changed before proceeding to the evacuation location. The return journey covered a total distance of 16 kilometers, with another battery stop required because of the passenger's weight.

At the intermediate position, rescuers transferred Vlasenko to the Myrtvorets ground robot, which traveled another eight kilometers over rough terrain. The vehicle's cargo compartment was camouflaged and lined with mattresses. Once the soldier reached a safer area, a team moved him into a car and transported him to an advanced medical post.

The 92nd Assault Brigade's unmanned systems unit said Vlasenko was receiving treatment and undergoing rehabilitation, adding that his life was no longer in danger. The mission demonstrated how aerial and ground robotic systems can work together when conventional evacuation routes are too dangerous to use.