Ukrainian Army Uses Heavy Drone to Extract Soldier After Ground Rescue Fails

A Ukrainian soldier was extracted from a combat zone in the Kharkiv region on 21 October using a large unmanned aerial vehicle, ending an eight-day wait for medical evacuation. Artem Lytvyn, 25, was stranded near the Russian border after a mine detonation severed the blood supply to his right leg. His extraction relied on a heavy-lift drone built by SkyFall, a move that bypassed the muddy terrain and heavy drone activity that had blocked conventional ground units.

Lytvyn had been moving with a squad of seven toward a forward position when he hit the mine. He applied two tourniquets to his leg before his unit moved him into a wooded area. His companion, Siava, also suffered a severe leg injury in the blast and died two days later. Lytvyn remained in the bush for eight days while the 129th Brigade attempted to reach him.

Ground operations failed due to environmental and tactical obstacles. Four remote-controlled ground robots became stuck in rivers and mud. A stretcher team of ten soldiers managed to cover only 11 kilometers in five days, stopping roughly halfway to the casualty. Persistent Russian drone activity made even armored vehicles a high-risk option for the final stretch of the journey.

The rescue utilized a StarGate drone, a six-rotor aircraft capable of carrying 150 kilograms. The aircraft features a suspended capsule designed for patient transport. Andrii, a pilot with the 475th Separate Assault regiment, said his team spent a week planning the flight path. The large size of the aircraft made it a target for Russian counter-drones and electronic jamming. The team installed an AI navigation module to maintain the route if GPS signals were lost.

The aircraft approached at approximately 3 a.m. on 21 October. Lytvyn crawled toward the machine using his hands and uninjured leg. He entered the capsule, leaving his rifle and radio behind, and stated his primary fear was being shot down during the flight. The drone was escorted by other Ukrainian aircraft, including heavy Vampire drones that engaged Russian positions to distract enemy air defenses.

The flight lasted 20 minutes. The StarGate landed in a clearing, where soldiers moved Lytvyn into a cellar for initial treatment. A Humvee transported him to Kharkiv for surgery around noon. He received a blood transfusion and had his right leg amputated at the knee. He is now recovering in a military hospital in Lviv.

This rescue follows a similar operation involving Kostiantyn Vlasenko, 49, who spent 491 days at his post before being lifted nine miles in a harness. A third soldier, 54-year-old Andriy, was rescued by drone last week. SkyFall intends to manufacture 1,000 StarGate drones per month by the end of the year to support these operations.

Lytvyn’s girlfriend, Alyona, and younger brother, Nikita, visited him in Lviv. Nikita learned of the injury only after the evacuation. Lytvyn plans to focus on recovery and time with his seven-year-old daughter, Mia. He described his survival as a miracle.