&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ukrainian drone airlifts wounded soldier in what is likely a world first")
Ukraine has claimed that one of its drones successfully airlifted a wounded soldier from the battlefield, in what is the first rescue of its kind. The military released a dramatic video showing the soldier clipping himself to the drone while the machine lifts him up. The drone was steered by a remote operator as it carried the soldier at low altitude in an area that was blurred out in the footage.
The drone slowly puts him on the ground. The operator greets the soldier and says, "Welcome back to the ground!" The faces of the crew that launched the drone rescue mission have also been blurred out in the video.
Ukrainian military shared details about the soldier on its Facebook page. It said that he was injured in his position, without revealing his identity. It added that the situation made regular evacuation difficult, and the drone came to his rescue. “Due to intense enemy drone activity and the presence of landmines, evacuation using conventional unmanned ground vehicles was impossible.”
The drone used was a locally built "heavy" hexacopter. The development was done keeping in mind that it could safely carry a person and remain stable in flight. “The operation was successful. The soldier is now receiving treatment and rehabilitation, and his life is no longer in danger,” the post said.
Ukraine is heavily relying on drones
Ukraine has started relying heavily on drones to not only defend itself from Russian attacks, but also strike territory deep inside the enemy country. It has hit oil refineries, storage depots, and pipeline nodes with drones to disrupt the supply of fuel to frontline forces and weaken Russian energy export capabilities. It has even reached regions 1,200 kilometres from Ukraine, displaying the might of its drones.
It uses cheap interceptor drones built for only $2200 for its air defence systems to protect crucial sites in the country.
