Ukraine's military has started using a purpose-built aerial drone to evacuate wounded troops from the battlefield, according to an Associated Press report carried by 1News.
The 475th Separate Assault Regiment said its six-rotor StarGate drone, which carries an enclosed stretcher capsule, flew two soldiers with severe leg injuries to safety in separate missions over the past week. Both were in the contested strip about 5km from the Russian border, where artillery and enemy drones make ground rescues dangerous.
One of the men, a 24-year-old known by his call sign Izyum, told the AP he had waited two days for evacuation after losing part of his foot and could not have walked out. The flight took less than 15 minutes. The maker, Ukrainian firm SkyFall, says the drone can carry 150kg and is fitted with signal jammers.
Source: 1News (Associated Press)
