An official involved in the work told Business Insider that several Ukrainian companies have developed heavy drones capable of evacuating injured soldiers from the battlefield, but due to the high risks, such drones should only be used as a last resort.
The person in charge of drones at the innovation platform Brave1 supported by the Ukrainian state, Denys Lohvynenko, stated that heavy drones provide a time-critical rescue method for severely injured soldiers who are unable to walk on their own and for whom other evacuation methods are not feasible, often in extremely dangerous environments.
Ukraine began developing heavy drones two years ago, but it took some time to gradually overcome the complex technical challenges.
On Monday, a Ukrainian military unit stated that they used a heavy-duty drone to rescue an injured soldier from the front line, calling it "the first aerial evacuation."
The presence of landmines and Russian drones has made ground robots, which have become an increasingly common method for evacuating wounded for Kiev, too difficult to use.
On Monday, the 92nd Independent Assault Brigade of Ukraine stated that soldiers used a six-rotor, six-axis aircraft manufactured by a Ukrainian company named Gurzuf Defense to carry out this mission. Other defense companies are also developing similar technologies; for example, SkyFall recently launched its own six-axis aircraft for evacuation purposes.
Ukrainian forces also use heavy drones for logistical tasks, as they are generally capable of carrying more cargo than smaller models.
Lohvynenko indicates that Ukraine is aware of the risks associated with the use of large drones in disputed airspace and its surrounding areas, and this is indeed the reality in most of the frontline regions. Therefore, such drones are 'reserved only for high-risk, high-priority emergency situations,' he said.
He also stated that these heavy-duty drones are equipped with what he referred to as "additional survival systems," including electronic warfare and backup communication systems. In the future, active protection systems may also be installed.
"We maintain a realistic understanding of the technical and operational challenges faced in conducting aerial evacuations using heavy drones," said Lohvynenko.
"However, it is crucial to build such technical capabilities," he continued, stating that "one life saved on the battlefield is enough to prove that every hour of engineering time and resources invested in this project are worthwhile."
As Ukrainian officials, businesses, and the military increasingly use machines to replace soldiers in dangerous frontline tasks, the evacuation of combat wounded is becoming more and more automated.
In particular, ground robots are considered key tools for evacuating the wounded and performing logistical tasks. Last month, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated that since January of this year, the number of tasks carried out by robots has more than tripled.
The use of heavy drones for this unusual evacuation mission highlights Ukraine's growing efforts to employ unmanned systems in unconventional roles on the battlefield.
