11 May 2026
A VAMPIRE drone crew freed two Ukrainian soldiers from Russian captivity in the Northern Slobozhanshchyna sector.
This happened in April of this year. During a Russian attack on the positions of a neighboring brigade, two infantrymen were taken prisoner, and the command requested assistance.
A VAMPIRE drone crew from the 21st Mechanized Brigade was located a few kilometers from the scene.
Without wasting any time, the soldiers prepared the drone and immediately set out on the rescue mission.
By that point, the occupiers were already leading the prisoners toward their positions.
Hearing the distinctive sound of the ‘Vampire’ hovering above them, the Russians became disoriented, panicked, abandoned the prisoners, and tried to flee.
Russian occupiers escorting Ukrainian prisoners. April 2026. Source: 21st Mechanized Brigade
Ukrainian drone operators caught up with the occupiers and eliminated them. Both freed infantrymen successfully returned to their units.
There have already been numerous cases where Ukrainian drones have captured Russian soldiers.
Eliminated Russian occupier. April 2026. Source: 21st Mechanized Brigade
However, the rescue of Ukrainian soldiers using a UAV is the first such case in the Northern Slobozhanshchyna sector. This year, the VAMPIRE drone also rescued two soldiers from captivity near Huliaipole.
This rescue operation was carried out by the VAMPIRE drone crew under the command of a 23-year-old soldier with the call sign ‘Rubin.’
The VAMPIRE bomber drone. February 2026. Source: 21st Mechanized Brigade
Another hero of this story was the VAMPIRE unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by the Ukrainian company SkyFall.