Frontline Logistics: AI Drone Carries Wounded Soldiers Out of Kill Zone
Ukraine's 475th Regiment used a 150 kg cargo drone to evacuate two troops from a sector where ground extraction was impossible due to terrain and electronic warfare.
By Megan Ivanov ·
Soldiers injured in combat no longer need to wait for ground vehicles if they are located in difficult terrain. This week, two Ukrainian troops were pulled from the battlefield by an autonomous aerial vehicle. The operation occurred in a sector where enemy fire and water obstacles made traditional rescue attempts too dangerous.
The 475th Separate Assault Regiment, known by its callsign CODE 9.2, coordinated the two rescues with SkyFall, the manufacturer of the StarGate drone. The patients were Yevhen, alias Izium, a 25-year-old, and Artem, alias Kolobok, a 24-year-old. Both men suffered severe limb injuries while positioned in the grey zone, approximately five kilometers from the Russian border. The unit stated that ground evacuation was not possible because of the terrain and the threat from enemy first-person view drones.
Preparing the missions took a week and required support from other Ukrainian defense units. Heavy Vampire attack drones were deployed to suppress Russian positions, creating a window for the StarGate to operate. In one specific run, the aircraft traveled nearly 30 kilometers to reach the soldier and then flew the same distance back with the patient on board. Russian forces used electronic warfare systems in the area to block satellite navigation signals, but the drone’s artificial intelligence navigation system allowed it to complete the flight successfully.
The StarGate is a remotely operated aircraft with a top speed of 105 kilometers per hour. It has a range of up to 30 kilometers and can carry a payload of 150 kilograms. For medical evacuations, it carries a specialized capsule with a stretcher. Oleksandr Nastenko, the regiment commander, said the experience will help the unit create a dedicated medical aviation division. He explained that this new branch will focus specifically on moving wounded soldiers by air.
This follows an earlier test on 19 October, when the military used a drone from Gurzuf Defence to evacuate a soldier for the first time. The 475th Regiment is now using the data from these operations to plan its permanent aerial medical capacity.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
