Ukrainian Regiment Uses AI Drone to Evacuate Wounded Soldiers From Russian EW Zone

Ukrainian troops from the 475th Separate Assault Regiment, also known as CODE 9.2, extracted two injured soldiers from the front lines using the StarGate drone. The unit conducted these aerial evacuations within a single week, marking a practical application of drone technology for medical logistics in active combat zones.

The rescued servicemembers were 25-year-old Yevhen, known by the callsign Izium, and 24-year-old Artem, known as Kolobok. Both sustained severe injuries to their limbs while positioned in the grey zone, roughly five kilometers from the Russian border. The unit noted that ground evacuation was unviable due to difficult terrain, water obstacles, and the threat of enemy first-person-view drones.

Preparation for the missions took one week and involved coordination with SkyFall, the manufacturer of the StarGate drone. Ukrainian forces used Vampire attack drones to suppress Russian positions, providing the necessary fire support for the extraction teams. The operations required precise timing and coordination with other branches of the defense forces to ensure the rescue corridors remained clear.

During one specific mission, the StarGate drone traveled nearly 30 kilometers to reach the soldier's position and covered a similar distance on the return trip with the casualty on board. Russian forces actively deployed electronic warfare systems in the area to suppress satellite navigation signals. The drone relied on an AI-based navigation system to maintain its flight path despite the loss of GPS data.

The StarGate is a remotely operated aircraft with a maximum speed of 105 kilometers per hour. It can carry a payload of up to 150 kilograms and includes a dedicated medical capsule with a stretcher for casualties. SkyFall developed the system specifically for frontline testing and recently handed it over to the military for operational use.

Oleksandr "Flint" Nastenko, the commander of the 475th Separate Assault Regiment, stated that the experience from these missions will help the unit establish a dedicated medical aviation unit. This new group will focus exclusively on evacuating wounded soldiers by air. The regiment aims to standardize this process based on the data gathered from the recent operations.

This development follows another aerial rescue reported on October 19, where a soldier was evacuated using a drone manufactured by Gurzuf Defence. That operation represented the first time the military used an aerial drone for such a task. The 475th Regiment's use of the StarGate demonstrates an expansion of drone capabilities beyond strike missions into life-saving medical logistics.