Ukrainian Drone Unit Pulls Off Daring Three-Stage Rescue of Civilians Trapped Near Front Line

Ukrainian drone operators from the “Kraken 1654” unmanned systems regiment carried out a rare three-stage rescue mission to evacuate four civilians from an active combat zone near Lyman, the Third Army Corps announced on May 13.

According to the military, a group of elderly civilians reached a Ukrainian frontline position in the Lyman sector and asked for help escaping a settlement located dangerously close to ongoing fighting.

“The rescue operation was organized by operators of the Kraken 1654 unmanned systems regiment. Fighters of the Silver Battalion coordinated a plan to transport local residents as safely as possible, including a wounded woman,” the corps said.

The evacuation was conducted in three separate stages. First, civilians were moved using a ground robotic drone, then transported by boat before finally being transferred to medical personnel at a hospital.

The operation involved coordination between the Kraken 1654 unit, ARMA GROUP, GHOST UNIT, and Ukraine’s civil-military cooperation service, according to the Third Army Corps.

The military described the mission as a priority effort to save civilian lives under extreme battlefield conditions and urged residents of frontline areas to evacuate while routes remain available.

Video released by the unit showed the difficult extraction process from the so-called “gray zone,” an area near the front line where control constantly shifts, and civilians remain exposed to artillery, drone strikes, and small-arms fire.

Earlier, reports emerged that since the beginning of 2026, approximately 2,000 residents have been evacuated from frontline territories in southern Ukraine. This figure includes nearly 500 children and 32 individuals with limited mobility.

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