{
  "id": 16210532,
  "title": "Ukrainian commanders report first known aerial drone rescue of wounded soldier",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/ukrainian-commanders-report-first-known-aerial-drone-rescue-of",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-23T17:03:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/10/23/ukrainian-commanders-report-first-known-aerial-drone-rescue-of-wounded-soldier"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ukraine's armed forces have successfully evacuated a wounded soldier from the front line by drone for the first time, according to Reuters. The story details the rescue of 49-year-old Kostiantyn Vlasenko in the Kharkiv region, based on his personal account. Vlasenko had been stationed in a trench since May 2025, alongside a fellow soldier called Basky. They relied on drones for delivering food and supplies, as no other method was feasible due to the overwhelming presence of drones near the front line, posing a lethal threat to any movement. Their planned rotation out in the fall of 2025 was cut short when two soldiers sent to replace them were killed en route. Subsequently, two more soldiers tasked with retrieving their bodies met the same fate. It was in mid-February, after 10 months in the trench, that Vlasenko and Basky were forced to abandon their position due to flooding. They sought refuge in a partially destroyed school building. One day, while collecting a package of food and clothing dropped by fellow soldiers, a Russian reconnaissance drone detected them. Subsequently, another drone targeted their position, resulting in Basky's death that day. Vlasenko sustained a fractured left foot and a twisted, broken right leg. He managed to crawl into a shelter beneath a metal boiler, where his left foot gradually decomposed, protruding from his injured right shin. In a final desperate act, Vlasenko decided to amputate his right foot. As his spirits waned, his commanders explored evacuation options. They initially considered unmanned ground vehicles, but drones destroyed two of those vehicles. Eventually, a heavy-lift drone capable of carrying a 90-kilogram payload for up to 25 kilometers was chosen. Given that Vlasenko weighed around 70 kilograms and a safe location behind the lines was 15 kilometers away, the evacuation was deemed feasible. The evacuation process began on October 1, with Vlasenko receiving a harness and instructional videos on a phone the day prior. During the evacuation, Vlasenko's drone ascended to 70 meters, with three additional small drones escorting it to deter Russian drones. Simultaneously, four FPV drone crews, fixed-wing drones, and artillery engaged nearby positions believed to be under Russian drone control. The entire flight lasted merely 15 minutes. Vlasenko expressed fear of falling into water but not of a fall into the forest. At Meduza, transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence in news production is emphasized. The article was authored by a human journalist and translated from Russian using an AI model, with editorial oversight by a Meduza editor prior to publication. Readers interested in Meduza's exclusive English-language content can subscribe to their newsletter.",
  "summary": "Ukraine’s armed forces have evacuated a wounded soldier from the front line by drone for the first time, Reuters reported. The news agency recounted the rescue of 49-year-old Kostiantyn Vlasenko in the Kharkiv region, based on his account.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Ukrainian soldier cuts off his own foot to survive, rescued by drone after 8 months",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/ukrainian-soldier-cuts-off-his-own-foot-to-survive-rescued-by-drone",
        "published": "2026-10-23T22:03:24.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}