A wounded Ukrainian soldier on the front line was evacuated a few days ago by an aerial drone designed for this type of mission. Last month, the 475th Autonomous Assault Regiment of KVN used a hexacopter to rescue fighters trapped on both sides of the front.
These men were in the kill zone, a strip several kilometers wide where aerial drones track the slightest movement. Any movement there can prove fatal.
The wounded often remain stranded there for days, weeks, or even months. Kyiv, at war with Russia since early 2022, is seeking to better protect its soldiers by turning to technology.
The regiment wants to integrate this capability into its daily operations. It is forming platoons dedicated to these rescue missions.
The aircraft, named StarGate, is the first drone specially designed in Ukraine for medical evacuations. It is manufactured by the company SkyFall.
SkyFall is increasing production of this artificial-intelligence-assisted craft. It can hover and land autonomously, even in the event of electronic jamming attempts.
A spokesperson said the company plans to produce about 1,000 units per month by the end of 2026. The aircraft is already generating strong demand from many other units and brigades.
Kyiv's forces first rely on unmanned ground vehicles to limit rescuers' exposure. These vehicles often remain slow and can become easy targets.
In August, a company commander of the 475th Regiment had to extract two wounded soldiers himself by car. The unmanned vehicle transporting them had been struck by Russian drones.
Despite their large size, aerial evacuation drones are faster and harder to hit than these vehicles, said Cherry, 28, head of the regiment's medical service.
The first known aerial evacuation by drone was carried out by the 92nd Brigade in late October. The 475th Regiment's first two operations followed shortly afterward.
The first time KVN pilot remotely guided a large hexacopter to evacuate a comrade, preparations lasted seven days. Barely two weeks later, a similar mission was mounted in twelve hours.
Each sortie requires extensive coordination, notably with support drones and electronic warfare assets. KVN, who spent his first two years of service hunting Russian soldiers as an attack-drone pilot, has carried out only four evacuations.