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Ukrainian Drone Flies Deep Into Frontline to Rescue Soldier Trapped for 57 Days Near Russian Border
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A Ukrainian heavy-lift drone evacuated a 54-year-old wounded soldier who had remained at a frontline position for 57 days after stepping on a landmine, marking the third successful aerial casualty evacuation carried out by Ukraine’s 475th Assault Regiment CODE 9.2 using the domestically developed StarGate system.
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According to SkyFall on November 2, the Ukrainian drone manufacturer planned and carried out the rescue operation in cooperation with the 475th Assault Regiment CODE 9.2. The wounded soldier, identified as Andrii, callsign “Donbas,” was evacuated from a position just two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Russian border.
⚡️🇺🇦 Air evacuation of wounded becomes systematic: CODE 9.2 rescued a soldier using a StarGate drone
— MAKS 26 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) November 2, 2026
The rescued soldier Andriy with the call sign "Donbas", who was in position for 57 days due to a mine explosion.
During the operation, CASEVAC StarGate drone covered more than… pic.twitter.com/J4aAxVtOCt
Andrii had been deployed at the position since late May and sustained his injuries on September 2 while carrying out a combat mission. He remained there for nearly two months because conventional evacuation routes were inaccessible.
Russian FPV drone attacks, minefields, difficult terrain, and continued shelling prevented Ukrainian forces from reaching the soldier by ground transport.
During the rescue mission, the StarGate unmanned aerial vehicle traveled more than 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) in one direction to retrieve the wounded serviceman. Following the evacuation, Andrii was transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
SkyFall did not specify the exact date of the operation but confirmed that three seriously wounded Ukrainian soldiers had been rescued using StarGate within approximately a week and a half.
The StarGate is a specialized casualty evacuation drone, known as a CASEVAC platform, developed by SkyFall in response to a request from the commander of the 475th Assault Regiment.
The aircraft can carry payloads weighing up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and reach speeds of 105 kilometers per hour (65 mph), according to the manufacturer. Its evacuation compartment incorporates a medical stretcher designed to transport wounded personnel.
SkyFall says the drone uses onboard artificial intelligence, navigation systems, and redundant communications to maintain operations even when GPS signals are jammed or communication with operators is interrupted.
The latest mission follows two earlier StarGate evacuations conducted by the same regiment. Those operations rescued two Ukrainian servicemen, 25-year-old Yevhen, callsign “Izium,” and 24-year-old Artem, callsign “Kolobok.”
Both soldiers had suffered serious limb injuries and were stranded in contested frontline territory approximately five kilometers (3.1 miles) from the Russian border.
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-7709f30584445449773e4f68ee61c7d1.jpeg "A Russian Su-57 stealth fighter jet on the tarmac at a military airbase. Illustrative photo. (Photo: Open source)")
-0f8d2080a2965b0aeaa2945403b28a05.png "Black smoke rises near the Samara oil pumping and dispatch station in Russia’s Samara region following a drone attack on November 2, 2026. (Source: Exilenova+)")
