Ukraine’s frontline is place where humans can’t survive alone: Robots carry wounded through fire, retrieve disabled drones, recover vehicles (VIDEO)

On the Pokrovsk front, Ukrainian airborne troops carried out an extremely complex two-stage evacuation of a wounded fighter, using a robotic ground system while under constant threat from Russian drones.

Russia deliberately targets medevac vehicles and stabilisation points, openly violating international humanitarian law. As a result, medics are compelled to work in underground shelters, and evacuations are increasingly reliant on robotic platforms that replace vehicles in the most hazardous zones.

The wounded soldier suffered multiple injuries in combat, the most severe being a nearly severed lower leg. 

“His leg was almost amputated by shrapnel," combat medic Vasyl confirmed. 

Ukrainian paratroopers carried out an evacuation of a wounded soldier using a ground robot

Because anything with a red cross has become a priority target for Russians, who hunt medevac vehicles with the enthusiasm of a national sport
📹Ukrainian Air Assault Forces pic.twitter.com/eZX0nOI29I

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) December 2, 2025

After initial aid from comrades and stabilisation in the shelter, the most dangerous phase began — extraction.

Through fire and darkness

The evacuation unfolded in two stages:

1. Manual transport — comrades carried him on stretchers to the point where the robotic system could operate, all under fire and the constant buzz of enemy drones overhead.
2. Night robot operation — the ground platform retrieved the wounded soldier and delivered him to medics in a safe zone.

“Success depends on everyone: medics, the unit, the drone operators, and the robot crew. Everyone stays in constant contact, everyone acts with absolute precision," the Air Assault Forces explained. 

A life was saved thanks to dozens of people, and technologies now rescuing soldiers where sending humans is no longer possible.

Ukraine went even further with ground systems

Earlier, the 93rd Brigade's Kholodnyi Yar demonstrated that ground robots can do far more than evacuate the wounded. They can also recover vehicles and valuable drones that are stranded in the midst of a fire.

The Alter Ego unmanned systems battalion now deploys ground robots to retrieve:

• disabled or grounded cargo drones,
• damaged robotic platforms,
• and any high-value equipment that cannot be left for the enemy.

The Ukrainian frontline is steadily evolving into a battlefield where robots are saving lives and becoming a critical element of modern warfare.