Ukrainian soldier cuts off his own foot to survive, rescued by drone after 8 months

Kostiantyn Vlasenko spent 491 days on Ukraine’s drone-infested frontline. A Russian drone strike on a ruined school killed his fellow soldier, Basky, and badly injured both of Vlasenko’s legs. Trapped beneath the school’s boiler, he eventually amputated his remaining foot and believed he would die.

Conventional evacuation had become too dangerous, and two unmanned ground vehicles sent to reach him were destroyed. Ukrainian forces instead used a heavy-lift drone from Gurzuf Defense. Vlasenko wore a harness attached to a winch beneath the aircraft. The drone lifted him 70 metres and carried him about 15km to safety in 15 minutes.

The operation ended an extraordinary ordeal and was described by Ukrainian commanders as the first known aerial drone rescue of a soldier. Smaller drones protected the aircraft while Ukrainian crews suppressed Russian drone positions. The military corroborated his account, though some details could not be independently verified.

A heavy-lift drone is an unmanned aircraft designed to carry heavy equipment or people rather than only small parcels. It matters because it can reach dangerous areas where vehicles cannot safely travel. In Vlasenko’s case, the drone provided a way out of a frontline position surrounded by hostile drones.

The aircraft used six vertical rotors to generate lift. Vlasenko attached himself to a carabiner connected to a winch beneath the drone. The aircraft raised him to 70 metres, then carried him while he remained suspended in the harness. It transported him approximately 15km before landing safely.

This rescue shows a practical new use for large drones. They can deliver supplies, attack positions, or evacuate wounded soldiers. Their usefulness still depends on range, lifting capacity, and protection from smaller enemy drones that can intercept them during flight.

The drone was a large, six-rotor aircraft built for heavy lifting. It could carry loads weighing up to 90kg and travel distances of up to 25km. Those figures made it suitable for a rescue that required moving Vlasenko roughly 15km from the frontline.

Vlasenko weighed about 70kg after spending more than a year at the position. The aircraft lifted him with a harness and winch, raising him 70 metres above the ground. Its black frame and six vertical rotors gave it the appearance of a giant insect. The flight to safety took 15 minutes.

The drone’s capacity was enough for this mission, but its size also created a danger. Larger Ukrainian drones could be intercepted by smaller Russian first-person-view drones. Ukrainian forces therefore needed a protective operation around the aircraft, not merely enough power to lift its passenger.

Rescue vehicles had become nearly unusable because Russian drones could detect and attack vehicles moving toward the frontline. The officer overseeing the mission said evacuations by pickup trucks and armoured vehicles were almost impossible. A vehicle approaching Vlasenko could expose both the rescuers and the wounded soldier to attack.

Ukrainian forces tried another method. They sent two unmanned ground vehicles, using wheels or tracks, to reach Vlasenko. Russian drones destroyed both vehicles. These failures showed that travelling across the ground did not solve the central problem: the route itself was watched and vulnerable to drone strikes.

The heavy-lift drone offered a different path. It could avoid the ground route, but it was still exposed in the air. Ukrainian forces had to protect it with decoy drones, drone crews, artillery, and fixed-wing aircraft. The rescue succeeded because the flight was paired with efforts to suppress Russian drone positions.

The heavy-lift drone faced a major threat during its 15-kilometre flight. Larger Ukrainian aircraft could be intercepted by smaller Russian first-person-view drones. Protecting the rescue therefore required more than the heavy-lift machine’s own flight capability.

Three smaller six-propeller drones flew alongside it to distract Russian attack drones. At the same time, four Ukrainian first-person-view drone crews, artillery units, and larger fixed-wing drones attacked known Russian drone positions. This supporting action lasted two hours and aimed to suppress enemy fire around the route.

The protection worked long enough for the aircraft to complete its mission. After a tense 15-minute journey, it landed safely with Vlasenko. The operation shows that drone rescue depends on coordinated air cover and attacks on enemy positions, especially when a large, slow-moving aircraft carries a vulnerable passenger.

The rescue demonstrates how drones are expanding military logistics and medical evacuation. Vlasenko could not be reached safely by road because enemy drones made vehicles highly vulnerable. An aircraft instead delivered a harness, lifted him from the ruined school, and carried him to safety without sending a crewed vehicle into the danger zone.

The operation combined several drone roles. Regular drones had supplied Vlasenko while he was trapped. A heavy-lift drone then carried him 15km. Three smaller drones distracted Russian attackers, while other drones, artillery, and fixed-wing aircraft suppressed enemy positions. Together, these systems created a narrow evacuation window.

This does not make rescue simple or safe. The heavy aircraft could still be intercepted, and the mission required extensive protection. However, the operation suggests unmanned aircraft may increasingly deliver supplies and evacuate casualties in places where conventional vehicles cannot operate.

First-person-view drones are remotely operated aircraft that let pilots see what the drone sees in real time. This gives operators direct visual control as they guide the aircraft toward a target. In the rescue, Russian FPV drones threatened the much larger aircraft carrying Vlasenko.

The danger came from the mismatch between the aircraft. The heavy-lift drone was powerful enough to carry a person, but its size made it a visible and valuable target. Smaller Russian FPV drones could be sent toward it and guided by operators. Ukrainian forces used three smaller drones as distractions and attacked known Russian drone positions.

FPV drones make modern combat especially dangerous because movement can be observed and attacked quickly. They helped make pickup trucks, armoured vehicles, and ground rescue machines unsafe. The rescue succeeded only after Ukrainian forces coordinated drones and artillery to reduce that threat during the flight.