Drone Carried Injured Soldier 18 Miles to Safety in Kharkiv

A 25-year-old Ukrainian soldier was rescued from a forward position in the Kharkiv region by a heavy-lift drone on October 21 after traditional ground evacuation methods failed. Artem Lytvyn had been stranded for eight days with a shattered right leg after stepping on a magnetic mine. The rescue marked the first time a purpose-built evacuation drone was used to extract a wounded combatant from the frontline.

Lytvyn was part of the 129th Brigade and had been trekking toward a dangerous post near the Russian border. He and six comrades encountered hostile forces, killing two Russian soldiers, before Lytvyn triggered the mine. He applied tourniquets to his leg and hid in bushes with another wounded soldier, Siava, who died two days later from the same blast. The terrain, featuring rivers, muddy fields, and forests, prevented a remote-controlled land robot and a 10-person stretcher party from reaching him in time.

Pilot Andrii of the 475th Separate Assault Regiment planned the mission for a week. The team used a SkyFall StarGate drone, a large unmanned aerial vehicle capable of carrying a 330-pound payload. The aircraft carried a coffin-like capsule beneath six rotor blades. Andrii noted that the drone was a visible target for Russian forces, which could attempt to shoot it down or jam its signals. To mitigate this, the drone was fitted with an AI navigation module to maintain its course even if GPS signals were scrambled.

At 3 a.m. on October 21, the drone landed next to Lytvyn. He crawled into the capsule and closed the hatch, leaving his radio and rifle behind. The flight covered 18 miles in 20 minutes. Escort drones bombarded known Russian positions to create a diversion. Upon landing in a clearing, Lytvyn confirmed his identity to the waiting unit. Medics treated his wound, which was infested with maggots, before an armored Humvee transported him to a hospital in Kharkiv. Surgeons amputated his right leg at the knee.

Lytvyn is now recovering in a military hospital in Lviv with four other soldiers who lost limbs. His girlfriend and brother visited him after learning of his injury. Lytvyn stated that the drone ride was smoother than a ground robot, which he described as jolting like a washing machine. SkyFall plans to produce 1,000 StarGate drones per month by the end of the year. The company manufactures various unmanned systems, including heavy bombers and interceptors.

The rescue highlights the evolving nature of drone warfare in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have increasingly used unmanned aircraft for logistics and evacuation as armored vehicles become vulnerable to drone attacks. According to Kyiv, 54,400 Russian soldiers were killed or injured in October, the highest figure since the war began. Lytvyn said he wants to spend time with his seven-year-old daughter before considering his next steps.

Other recent evacuations by drone have occurred in the region. In late October, a 49-year-old soldier was airlifted after spending 491 days at his post. A third soldier, a 54-year-old known as Donbas, was also rescued by drone last week. These operations underscore the shift in tactics as both sides rely on unmanned technology for survival on the battlefield.