Ukrainian unit uses drone to pull two wounded from 30 km kill zone

Ukrainian soldiers from the 475th Separate Assault Regiment, also known as CODE 9.2, used a StarGate drone to extract two wounded troops from the front line. The unit completed the evacuations within a week, relying on the aircraft to cross terrain where ground rescue was impossible.

The two soldiers, identified as 25-year-old Yevhen with the callsign Izium and 24-year-old Artem with the callsign Kolobok, sustained severe limb injuries. They were located in the grey zone, roughly 5 kilometers from the Russian border. The unit stated that enemy FPV drones and water obstacles made ground extraction too dangerous, leaving air support as the only viable option.

CODE 9.2 coordinated with SkyFall, the manufacturer of the casualty evacuation drone, to plan the operations. The missions required fire support and coordination with other branches of the Ukrainian defense forces. Heavy Vampire attack drones were deployed to suppress Russian positions while the StarGate approached the extraction points.

In one of the flights, the StarGate traveled nearly 30 kilometers to reach a serviceman and covered a similar distance returning with the soldier on board. The enemy deployed electronic warfare systems in the area, attempting to block satellite navigation signals. The drone’s AI-based navigation system allowed it to maintain its course despite the loss of GPS data.

Oleksandr Nastenko, the regiment’s commander, said the experience will help the unit form a dedicated medical aviation group. He explained that this new formation will focus specifically on evacuating wounded soldiers from the battlefield by air.

The StarGate is designed for a maximum range of 30 kilometers and can carry a payload of up to 150 kilograms. For medical missions, it is fitted with a capsule containing a stretcher. The aircraft has a top speed of 105 kilometers per hour and is remotely operated. SkyFall developed the platform specifically for frontline casualty evacuation and recently handed it over for testing.

On October 19, another Ukrainian unit reported a separate first-of-its-kind drone evacuation. That operation involved a drone built by Gurzuf Defence. The 475th Regiment’s recent use of the StarGate marks the latest in a series of aerial rescue attempts by Ukrainian forces.

SkyFall confirmed the details of the missions in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda. The unit noted that the complex nature of the operations required extensive preparation over the past week. The successful flights demonstrate the growing role of specialized unmanned systems in frontline medical logistics.