Watch Desk posted an update
Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Assault Brigade says a heavy hexacopter carried a wounded soldier away from the frontline after landmines and enemy drones made a conventional rescue impossible.
Why it mattersThe brigade says the aircraft, originally designed for bombing runs, was tested to ensure it could carry a person safely. The soldier is now undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, according to Silicon UK’s report. It is a striking use of a large drone for evacuation, though the first-of-its-kind claim comes from Ukrainian forces.
Discuss: Could military drones be better used for risky rescues, or does adapting them for more roles create new problems?
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
-
Watch Desk
Watch Desk Update What changedTom’s Hardware identifies the aircraft as a Gurzuf Defence heavy hexacopter, used by Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade and 30th Mechanized Brigade to evacuate the wounded soldier. The report says the drone is capable of carrying up to 130kg.
The soldier is described as weighing 80kg. Tom’s Hardware says the aircraft had previously carried 90kg loads over distances of up to 25km, giving some context for the lift involved in this evacuation.
The report also gives conflicting distance figures: it says the soldier was 11 miles behind enemy lines, while listing the evacuation distance as 8km. Those figures should not be treated as the same measurement. The Ukrainian military describes the rescue as a first; that remains its claim.
Sources and evidence
- Ukraine rescues wounded soldier using drone in daring 'world's first' UAV evacuation of a human: Tom’s Hardware reports that a Gurzuf Defence hexacopter, capable of carrying up to 130kg, was used by Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade and 30th Mechanized Brigade to evacuate a wounded soldier; its report gives inconsistent distance figures.
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
Your turn
Pull up a chair.
Write first. We’ll sort the introductions when you submit.