Ukraine uses a drone to evacuate a wounded soldier from the front line

In short: Ukraine’s Army shared video showing a heavy drone flying a wounded soldier out of a dangerous front line position.

What happened

Ukraine’s 92nd separate assault brigade carried out what Ukrainian outlets described as a first, using a large drone to evacuate an injured soldier from the battlefield. The Army posted video on October 19 showing the soldier attaching himself to a harness hanging under a six-rotor drone.

The rescue happened at an undisclosed time and place. According to The Kyiv Independent, Russian drones and landmines made it too risky to send people, and even made it impractical to use a wheeled ground robot.

The drone used was a Heavy Shot AYUDAG 6, provided by Ukrainian manufacturer Gurzuf Defence. The brigade first sent special clips to the wounded soldier so he could secure the harness to the drone’s winch (a motorized cable, like a powered fishing reel). Gurzuf Defence said the full evacuation took 1 hour and 14 minutes and covered nearly 39 miles, or 62 kilometers, and the drone can reportedly carry up to 200 pounds, or 90 kilograms.

Why it matters

Getting wounded soldiers to care quickly can be the difference between life and death. In Ukraine, constant drone surveillance makes rescue attempts dangerous, like trying to cross a street while someone is watching from above.

Heavy evacuation drones could lower the risk for medics and rescue teams because pilots can fly them from farther back. Gurzuf Defence also warned that this kind of flight is risky for the injured person and should be a last resort.

Source: Arstechnica