WATCH: ‘Unique Operation’: Ukraine Uses Drones to Free Soldiers From Russian Captivity

Ukrainian drones dropped explosives to force Russian captors to flee, freeing three Ukrainian soldiers and guiding them back to safety.

April 28, 2025

Ukrainian border guards freed three Ukrainian servicemen from Russian captivity using drones and precision drone drops.

The State Border Guard Service shared a corresponding video on Telegram, titled: “Unique operation: drone operators free three Ukrainian soldiers from captivity.”

According to the report, reconnaissance drone operators from the border guards spotted a group of Russian soldiers escorting three captured Ukrainian servicemen.

The footage – whose location and time Kyiv Post could not independently verify – shows one Russian soldier leading the column with three Ukrainian prisoners, while two other Russians walk behind. The Ukrainian soldiers are seen with their hands raised and clasped behind their heads.

Then, Reinforcements from the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crews of the 1st Separate Tank Siver Brigade arrive at the scene.

The video shows a drone dropping explosives, striking one Russian soldier, who falls to the ground, apparently wounded. Further explosions cause the remaining Russian soldiers to scatter in different directions.

The three Ukrainian prisoners are then seen following a drone, which leads them safely back toward Ukrainian positions.

“Coordinated actions and precise drops by Ukrainian drones forced the enemy to flee and abandon the prisoners. Using drones, our soldiers were then guided to safety,” the State Border Guard Service wrote.

The last time a drone guided a Ukrainian POW to safety

This isn’t the first time that video has come out showing drones guiding soldiers to safety.

Notably, in early January 2024, Ukraine’s 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade shared a video showing a drone leading a formerly captured Ukrainian soldier back to friendly territory.

According to the 95th, Ukrainian fighters were operating an attack drone in Russian-held territory. They eliminated nearby Russian forces and then noticed a Ukrainian POW tied up in a trench.

The military said that their drone operator, call sign Kevin, used the MAVIC’s lights to attract the prisoner’s attention, after which the soldier got his bearings and began to follow the drone.

While leading the POW back, they encountered a surviving Russian soldier who tried to signal the Ukrainian to return.

The military added that Kevin dropped a grenade on the Russian soldier, wounding him, and then continued guiding the POW to safety.

Those operations add to previous incidents where Ukrainian drones helped capture Russian soldiers.

Other drone operations

-Last week, Ukrainian National Guard fighters captured a group of Russian infantry in the Kharkiv region after a reconnaissance drone spotted their position and left them no choice but to surrender, according to National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko.

-On Jan. 27, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) reported using a drone to capture a wounded Russian soldier abandoned by his comrades.

During aerial reconnaissance, SSO operators spotted two wounded Russian soldiers. Left without food, water, or communication devices, one of them died from his injuries, while the other survived.

The SSO used a drone to offer the surviving soldier a chance to surrender, dropping a bottle of water and a note likely proposing surrender. The soldier immediately laid down his weapon and followed the drone.

-In late October 2024, a video surfaced on social media showing an FPV drone from Ukraine’s 79th Brigade “forcing” a Russian soldier to surrender. In the footage, the soldier initially tries to fight off the drone with debris from a damaged infantry fighting vehicle, apparently fearing an attack.

However, after a tense standoff, he eventually raises his hands and moves towards the Ukrainian positions, surrendering.

-In February 2024, Ukraine’s West Operational Command shared a similar video showing a MAVIC drone “capturing” a Russian soldier. The footage shows the soldier watching the drone before deciding to follow it, allowing Ukrainian forces to safely take him into custody.