Drones Were Just Used To Drop An Electric Bike On The Battlefield For A Stranded Soldier In Ukraine

In an extraordinary feat of battlefield ingenuity, Ukraine’s 4th “Rubizh” Brigade of the National Guard has successfully used first-person-view (FPV) drones to airlift an electric bicycle to a stranded soldier trapped in Russian-controlled territory. The mission, which is captured in a dramatic video released Wednesday, is one of the first known attempts to deliver a vehicle by drone in an active combat zone.

The soldier, identified by the call sign “Tankist,” was reportedly the sole survivor of a four-man unit engaged near Siversk, a front-line town in Donetsk. The enemy was before and behind and on both sides. We are surrounded, said Junior Lieutenant Mykola Hrytsenko, the chief of staff of the brigade.

There were no roads, and the logistics were almost nonexistent, so the brigade came up with a bold idea: to send a heavy-lift drone, such as the Baba Yaga or Heavy Shot, to deliver an 88-pound electric bike to the soldier. These drones, which normally are used in bombing, were stretched to the limits of their operations. The first two attempts failed, one drone being shot down and another crashing because of engine burnout.

However, on the third trial attempt, a drone was able to winch the disassembled bike to a near frontline post. Members of the brigade reassembled the bike and flew it directly to Tankist so that he could escape the encirclement. The emotional moment of success was described by Hrytsenko: Everyone in HQ was shouting and crying that we just launched the first plane in the sky.

Despite hitting a land mine later, Tankist was able to walk a few hundred meters to a friendly area, where he was assisted by another e-bike delivered by a drone to travel out entirely. The mission was not free, it cost two drones and two e-bikes. Which amounted to approximately 5,300 dollars. Ukrainian volunteers crowdfunded all the equipment. When you see an unusual e-bike fundraiser or a unicycle, do not be surprised. Hrytsenko said, Maybe it will save a life.

Although FPV drones have previously been deployed in non-combat operations, this bold effort demonstrates the emerging role and potential of such drones in high-stakes battlefield logistics.