Opinion | Ukraine Enlists a Drone for a Pioneering Rescue

Anna Husarska

Ukrainian forces recently evacuated a wounded soldier by aerial drone, maybe the first such mission ever. The rescue of Kostiantyn Vlasenko, a 49-year-old infantryman, from the front line near the city of Kupiansk involved four Ukrainian brigades. Early this month a heavy-lift drone transported Mr. Vlasenko to safety while smaller drones served as protection and decoys.

Before the war, Mr. Vlasenko was a miner in Kryvyi Rih, a city in southern Ukraine. He volunteered for the army after Russia’s 2022 invasion. He had spent more than 16 months at the Kupiansk front, a kill zone that is heavily mined and patrolled by Russian drones. At first he manned the post alongside another soldier, making radio reports on enemy movements. Since February, Mr. Vlasenko had worked alone, after a Russian drone attack killed his partner.

参与讨论