Ukrainians evacuated a wounded soldier using a heavy drone. The first operation of its kind

A Heavy Shot Ayudag hexacopter was used for the mission. The drone, originally a bomber, was adapted in cooperation with the manufacturer to maintain stability with a human payload. Equipment including carabiners and video instructions was previously dropped to the soldier. He then attached himself to the winch. The flight was controlled by an operator from the 30th Brigade. According to one report, the mission lasted approximately 1 hour and 14 minutes and covered a distance of about 62 km. The soldier was set down at a safer position, from where he was transported further for treatment.

Military sources and media reports consistently describe this as the first documented evacuation of a wounded soldier from an active front-line position using a multi-rotor aerial drone. Previously, ground robots have been regularly used for evacuations on the Ukrainian front – there are numerous recordings and reports from the years 2023–2026. Heavy drones have also been used to lift people in civilian situations, and dedicated medical platforms have already been tested in Ukraine.