Ukrainian drone carries wounded soldier off battlefield in a first

In mid-October 2026 a Heavy Shot Ayudag-6 hexacopter from Gurzuf Defense evacuated severely wounded soldier Kostiantyn Vlasenko from a position near the Oskil River. The 39-mile flight took about 1 hour 15 minutes, and the drone can carry up to 287 lbs. SkyFall is now testing a dedicated MEDEVAC drone, StarGate.

• Ayudag-6 weighs about 216 lbs and carries up to 287 lbs
• The rescue flight covered 39 miles in roughly 1 hour 15 minutes
• The soldier had held his position alone for 491 days
• SkyFall's StarGate carries up to 330 lbs and flies up to 65 mph