# Ukraine uses heavy drones to rescue wounded troops

> Ukrainian forces have begun evacuating injured soldiers by drone from the battlefield, but officials warn the risky tactic should only be used as a last resort.
- Title: Ukraine uses heavy drones to rescue wounded troops | Shortify
- Summary: Ukrainian forces have begun evacuating injured soldiers by drone from the battlefield, but officials warn the risky tactic should only be used as a last…
- Keywords: ukraine, drones, casualty evacuation, military technology, brave1, russia-ukraine war, business, technology, uses, heavy, rescue, wounded
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/risky-rescue-ukrainian-soldiers-with-air-drones-last-resort-method-2026-10
- Author: Jake Epstein
- Published: 2026-10-20T17:22:07.406+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ukraine, drones, casualty evacuation, military technology, brave1, russia-ukraine war, business, technology
## Ukraine develops heavy-lift rescue drones
Several Ukrainian companies have built heavy-lift drones to evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield. Ukraine began developing the technology two years ago to handle complex technical requirements.
## First evacuation carried out Monday
Ukraine's 92nd Separate Assault Brigade used a six-rotor hexacopter made by Gurzuf Defense to carry out what it described as a first-ever air evacuation of a wounded soldier from the front lines.
## Why drones when ground robots exist
Land mines and Russian drones made ground robot evacuation too dangerous. Heavy-lift aerial evacuation provided the only option to rescue the wounded soldier who could not walk on their own.
## A lifeline of last resort
Denys Lohvynenko, drone chief at Brave1, Ukraine's state-backed innovation platform, said heavy-lift drones provide time-sensitive rescue in dangerous situations where other evacuation methods are unavailable.

> In these situations, heavy-lift aerial evacuation serves as a lifeline of last resort.
## Big drones are big targets
Samuel Bendett, a drone warfare expert at the Center for Naval Analyses, told Business Insider that certain elite Russian military units are focused on downing such aircraft in contested airspace.
## Drones reserved for emergencies only
Ukraine understands the risks of using large drones in contested airspace along the front lines. Heavy-lift drones are equipped with electronic warfare and alternative communications, and are reserved only for high-risk, high-priority emergencies.
## Key takeaway

Ukraine has deployed heavy-lift drones to evacuate wounded soldiers from frontline positions where ground evacuation is impossible, though officials say the dangerous method should remain a last resort.