Wounded Ukrainian Soldier Survives FPV Strike Thanks to Armored Evacuation Bot

An armored capsule mounted on an unmanned ground vehicle helped protect a wounded Ukrainian soldier during a frontline evacuation mission after the vehicle was struck by a Russian FPV drone, according to Militarnyi on December 29. 

The outlet reported that the First Separate Medical Battalion launched the operation, codenamed “Fixik,” to evacuate a serviceman who had been injured by a drone-dropped munition and was unable to move from an infantry position, with the planned route spanning 58 km (29 km each way).

After the wounded soldier was loaded, the battalion said the vehicle detected a hostile drone and continued at maximum speed, but after 4 km, it was hit on the second attempt by an FPV drone, prompting a neighboring unit to extract the wounded soldier and provide medical care. 

The soldier did not sustain additional injuries because he was inside the armored capsule.

“There was no sound of the FPV. I was just driving, and then there was an explosion. I realized I’d been hit,” the soldier was quoted as saying, adding that he later shouted, “I’m alive, I’m alive!” as fellow troops approached.

Earlier, it was reported that a ground robot evacuated a severely wounded Ukrainian soldier who could not move on his own from frontline positions, marking a significant use of robotic systems to save lives under enemy fire.

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