Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine The military has begun using specialized air rescue drones to evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield, transporting two stranded soldiers to safety near the Russian border in the first such operation, an elite military unit said Monday.
The new development StarGate Dronea six-rotor aircraft equipped with an enclosed escape pod, was used in two separate missions over the past week, according to the 475th Separate Assault Regiment.
One of the rescued soldiers, a 24-year-old man from the 1st Territorial Defense Brigade identified by his call sign “Izyum,” told The Associated Press that he waited two days to be evacuated and was unable to walk 20 kilometers (12 miles) out of the combat zone. The soldier’s name was withheld for security reasons and in accordance with Ukrainian military protocol.
“The injury tore off half of my foot, so a lot of blood has already been lost,” he said in a video interview from his hospital room. “I think if this incredible little bird hadn’t flown in, well, getting out of there would have been unrealistic.”
The drone, carrying an orange and black cigar-shaped stretcher, landed in a field where tall grass was tangled with fiber-optic cable, causing Izyum and his fellow soldiers to fear it might get stuck.
The flight to safety took less than 15 minutes.
“From the bottom of my heart, I am very grateful that they flew in and picked me up,” he said.
The 475th Regiment, also known as Code 9.2, had tested StarGate for several weeks before deploying it to the battlefield.
It said the two rescued men had suffered “severe injuries to their limbs and were in the gray zone, approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the border with Russia”, referring to a strip of territory separating Ukrainian and Russian forces.
The drone was designed to evacuate injured soldiers from high-risk areas where heavy artillery fire and hostile drone activity make rescue operations dangerous.
Developed by Ukrainian technology company SkyFall, the drone is intended to reduce rescue times from hours to minutes, by reaching hard-to-reach combat zones that are currently served by unmanned ground vehicles.
The Associated Press obtained exclusive access to the drone earlier this month, before the final stage of testing.
The manufacturer says the drone can carry 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and is equipped with signal jammers and autonomous navigation to counter Russian electronic warfare systems. A company spokesperson said SkyFall plans to create a dedicated rescue drone unit, providing pilots and deployment specialists.
“Military personnel who were unsure if they would ever leave their posts can now go home and hug their children,” the spokesperson told the AP. The person spoke on condition of anonymity, citing security risks facing Ukrainian military technology personnel.
The commander of the Code 9.2 regiment, identified by the call sign “Flint,” said air evacuations could significantly improve rescue efforts.
“In the future, we plan to make changes to the manning structure of our regiment and create a separate medical aviation unit within the medical company,” he said. “It will specialize directly in evacuating wounded soldiers from the battlefield by air transport.”
Izyum, who hopes to return to beekeeping after the war, said he expects air rescue operations to expand.
“I think it needs to be developed and expanded because we have a lot of guys who can’t get out of the situations they’re in,” he said.
“Having to walk many, many miles with the level of bombing going on, whether it’s walking yourself or carrying an injured person – let’s just say it’s unlikely you’ll get through that. »
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