Operation Meow-Meow: Ukrainian Troops Use Vampire Drone to Rescue Kittens From Frontline

Ukrainian soldiers have completed an unconventional rescue mission on the frontline, using a heavy-lift "Vampire" drone to evacuate a cat and her five kittens.

The operation, which the troops dubbed "Operation Meow-Meow," was carried out by pilots from the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade on June 8.

The military team utilized the large unmanned aerial vehicle to transport the feline family from a high-risk area to the safety of the rear. The kittens and their mother were successfully moved, and the unit even managed to capture footage of the rescue process.

Regarding the mission, members of the brigade stated, "This rescue mission is yet another proof that Ukrainian soldiers in this most brutal war remain human and are prepared to risk even for the sake of the smallest living creature."

While the Vampire drone is typically known for its combat capabilities during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this mission highlighted its utility for unconventional tasks.

Standard operations for these heavy hexacopters usually include nighttime strikes, destroying enemy armored vehicles, neutralizing enemy dugouts, and delivering supplies to frontline positions.

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War in Ukraine

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These drones have become some of the most effective tools on the battlefield. Reports from earlier this year noted that Vampire bombers had completed more than 2.5 million missions. Beyond the Vampire, other heavy drones like the "Baba Yaga" are also widely recognized by troops, with one even receiving a monument near Kyiv late last year.

Previously, fighters of Ukraine’s 25th Separate Airborne Brigade evacuated an elderly woman from the Pokrovsk area after she reached out to them for help escaping the advancing fighting.

Since the woman was leaving with some of her belongings, the defenders used a ground robotic platform to transport them during the first stage of the mission, while the group also had to hide from enemy drones throughout the trek.

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