Ukrainian troops use StarGate drone to evacuate two severely wounded soldiers near Russian border
Ukrainian personnel from the 475th Separate Assault Regiment CODE 9.2 used the StarGate case evacuation drone to airlift two severely wounded soldiers from near the Russian border. Both soldiers sustained severe limb injuries, and one later had a leg amputated at a Kharkiv hospital. The regiment plans to turn the missions into regular practice and establish a dedicated sanitary aviation unit.
Key points
- StarGate evacuated 25-year-old Yevhen, callsign "Izyum," and 24-year-old Artem, callsign "Kolobok," of the 129th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade.
- The soldiers were evacuated from a grey zone about 5 kilometres from the Russian border.
- Ground evacuation was reportedly impossible because of difficult terrain, water obstacles and the threat of Russian FPV drones.
- Artem, who reportedly stepped on a mine in the Velykoburlaky direction, was taken to a Kharkiv hospital, where one leg was amputated.
- During one mission, StarGate flew nearly 30 kilometres to reach the wounded soldier and roughly the same distance back with him aboard.
- Russian electronic warfare attempted to jam the drone's satellite navigation; an AI-based navigation system and pilot skills allowed the mission to be completed.
- The regiment plans a dedicated sanitary aviation unit and regular air evacuations based on the experience gained.
- StarGate's reported specifications include a 15-kilometre range, a payload of up to 150 kilograms and a maximum speed of 105 km/h.
Why it matters
The evacuations enabled the rescue of severely wounded soldiers whose extraction by ground was described as impossible because of terrain, water obstacles and the threat of Russian FPV drones. The missions demonstrated that casualty evacuation can be carried out near the front despite attempts to jam satellite navigation. The scale of the injuries was underlined by the reported amputation of Artem's leg after his delivery to a Kharkiv hospital.
What happened
Personnel of the 475th Separate Assault Regiment CODE 9.2 carried out two complex evacuation missions within a week with the help of the StarGate case evacuation drone. The drone airlifted Yevhen, 25, callsign "Izyum," and Artem, 24, callsign "Kolobok," who belong to adjacent units, including the 129th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade. Both had severe limb injuries and were located in a grey zone roughly five kilometres from the Russian border.
Artem reportedly stepped on a mine in the Velykoburlaky direction. Because of the terrain, water obstacles and the threat of Russian FPV drones, evacuation by ground was impossible. During one operation, StarGate travelled nearly 30 kilometres to the wounded soldier and approximately the same distance back with him aboard. Additional personnel and equipment were involved, with heavy strike drones Vampire used to suppress enemy positions and provide fire support.
The SkyFall team, which developed and manufactures StarGate, assisted with the preparation and execution of the missions. The enemy used electronic warfare to try to suppress the drone's satellite navigation, but the AI-based navigation system and the pilots' skills allowed the evacuation to be completed. Artem was delivered to a Kharkiv hospital, where one leg was amputated.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focuses on the operational obstacles, combat support, navigation interference and the technical skills required to complete the evacuations. The coverage highlights the severity of the soldiers' injuries and the reported medical outcome, while presenting StarGate and the SkyFall team's role as tools for rescuing wounded personnel under frontline conditions. The regiment's plans to institutionalise air evacuation are described as a practical extension of the missions already carried out.
Background
StarGate was developed and manufactured by the SkyFall team. Earlier, on 4 October, the Heavy Shot Ayudag-6 drone was used to evacuate a soldier from the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade who had spent more than a year in a grey zone on the left bank of the Oskol. That evacuation was reported as the world's first evacuation of a wounded soldier from the front line using a heavy drone.