A Ukrainian land-based evacuation drone was hit by a Russian FPV drone during a high-risk rescue mission, but still managed to save the wounded soldier inside, according to the 1st Separate Medical Battalion. The casualty, unable to walk after being injured by a Russian drone drop, survived without additional wounds thanks to the vehicle’s armored capsule. The rescue drone completed most of its 58-kilometer route before coming under attack.
Armored capsule protects wounded soldier as Russian drone hits rescue robot
The operation, codenamed Fixik — a strange reference to a Russian children’s cartoon, likely chosen out of ignorance of the word’s origin — was carried out by Ukraine’s 1st Separate Medical Battalion using an NRK — a Ukrainian acronym standing for a "land-based robotic system."
Shortly after loading the wounded soldier, the NRK detected an enemy drone. The team made the decision to continue the mission at maximum speed. The robotic vehicle managed to cover 4 kilometers before being struck by a Russian FPV drone on its second attempt.
Despite the direct hit, the wounded man remained unharmed. He was later evacuated from the damaged robot by a neighboring Ukrainian unit and received necessary medical assistance.
“He did not sustain additional injuries because he was inside the armored capsule,” the battalion said. "He is currently continuing treatment at the next stage."
The operation lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes. The ground drone reached an average speed of 18 km/h and hit a maximum of 38 km/h during the mission. The damaged drone was later recovered.
“The armored capsule saved the wounded. We always use it during evacuation,” the battalion emphasized, adding that while it is impossible to foresee every scenario, “we must try to do everything possible to protect the wounded inside the NRK.”
Recently, in operation Gver, the 1st Separate Medical Battalion evacuated a severely wounded soldier from Russian-occupied territory after 33 days. Six earlier attempts failed, and several robotic vehicles were lost before the seventh succeeded.
