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20.10.2026 07:39
The Military Medical Clinical Center of the Northern Region in Kharkiv is currently treating a Ukrainian defender who underwent amputations of both legs and was evacuated by air from the Kupiansk sector using a drone.
The hospital announced this on its Facebook page, according to Ukrinform.
“The first-ever aerial evacuation of a wounded soldier from the battlefield in the history of the war was carried out by Ukraine’s Defense Forces in the Kharkiv region. A 49-year-old soldier who had lost both legs was lifted from a position in the Kupiansk sector by a large drone,” the post said.
The report says the soldier had been holding an observation post when Russian forces killed his comrade with explosive drops from drones. Kostiantyn was wounded in both legs and left alone at the position. Several attempts to evacuate him using different means, including unmanned ground vehicles, failed as the enemy did everything possible to thwart the missions.
“Although the Russians urged me to surrender, I couldn’t allow myself to do that. They dropped either a loudspeaker or a gramophone and tried to put psychological pressure on me. I remember it all word for word because the recording kept playing over and over: ‘Buddy, we know you’re here. Your comrades won’t help you. Did you hear that explosion? The next one could hit you. A white light will lead you out. And then it’s captivity, an exchange, and home!’
“They knew I was wounded and had already been left without my comrade, holding the position alone. I simply shouted: ‘Russian warship, go f… yourself!’ And that was it. After that, they dropped two anti-tank mines on me…
“I’m very grateful to my command, especially my company commander, who kept everything under control. They kept dropping medicines for me along with food and water: Betadine, antibiotics, painkillers and other things,” said the soldier, now a patient at the Kharkiv hospital.
Soldiers from several brigades and even army corps joined forces to save him. The Ukrainian military had never before carried out an evacuation operation of this complexity, said Artem Bohomolov, commander of the 10th Army Corps.
“There was no other way to save him. What was done had absolutely never been done before in Ukraine. I cannot say whether similar operations have been carried out elsewhere in the world. The planning was lengthy and meticulous. Dozens of people worked to save one man. The planning involved Unmanned Systems Forces, artillery units, electronic warfare units and air defense units. But every life saved is worth many, many hours of work,” Bohomolov said.
The serviceman underwent several operations at the Kharkiv hospital. Before that, it took several days to stabilize his condition.
“Since medicines and food were dropped at his position by drones, he managed to avoid severe complications, suppuration, gangrene and other problems. By the time he reached us, his wounds were already granulating, which showed that he had received antibiotic therapy and anti-inflammatory medication. Without that, he would not have survived,” said Volodymyr Kupriianchuk, head of the hospital’s Department of Surgical Infections and Thermal Injuries.
The soldier was evacuated using a Ukrainian-made Ayudag-6 hexacopter, also known as Heavy Shot. For this mission, engineers from Gurzuf Defence worked with the military to add certain components and make modifications to the drone.
“This is the first mission in the history of the war in which a person has been evacuated by an aircraft. I think everyone understands how challenging it was: you weren’t carrying someone one or two kilometers, or even 10, but more than 15 kilometers. And you knew that aerial combat was ongoing and electronic jamming was constant. That entails enormous responsibility,” said Ivan, one of Gurzuf Defence’s directors.
“No one fights alone, and unconventional thinking usually leads to success. We knew that an aircraft like this was being built for one of the brigades. We contacted the manufacturer and the brigade – the 92nd – and they agreed to help, sending both the aircraft and their specialists to assist us,” said Taras Maksimov, commander of the 14th Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great.
“An incredible number of people and various units were involved in providing cover for the aircraft’s flight. It was like ‘Star Wars’ – a huge operation, a real buzz!” said a serviceman known by the call sign “Vader” from the Unmanned Ground Systems Company of the 92nd Assault Brigade.
The day before the operation, a video was recorded on a phone for the wounded soldier, explaining how to put on his equipment and secure himself to the aircraft. A camera was also installed on the drone so the team could see whether he was ready for the flight, explained a pilot from the 30th Mechanized Brigade, who uses the call sign “Chornyi.”
“They are all my angels now, especially the pilot. He came to visit me in the hospital. The general came too, and the drone manufacturers brought me gifts…
“Where did I find the strength, and how did I hold on? I don’t know. God helped me. The support from my command kept me going. I have a very good company commander and very good guys, my comrades. They were all deeply worried about me. And it was precisely this – knowing that someone was thinking about me and that no one had abandoned me – that kept me going all this time,” Kostiantyn said.
The hospital added that he now faces prosthetic fitting and rehabilitation, as well as psychological support.
Photo credit: Kharkiv Hospital / Facebook
(c)UKRINFORM 2026