The State Border Service of Ukraine shared a video on Monday capturing the moment that an injured border guard was rescued by an aerial scout a part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) by utilizing a drone to lead the injured guard away from Russian forces.
In the footage, Ukrainian border guard Serhiy Kupin said that he sustained injuries to his leg while fighting along the front lines near the town of Svatove in the Luhansk region. According to Ukraine’s Border Service, Kupin was left extremely close to Russian positions in the area, making it nearly “impossible” to get the serviceman to safety.
While conducting aerial surveillance in the region, however, an air scout a part of Ukraine’s 68th Jaeger Brigade located Kupin, who was reportedly found between 100 and 200 meters away from Russian troops. The scout, who goes by the call sign “Lug,” sent an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) out to the wounded guard’s location, dropping off some hot tea and a note to let Kupin know that he was safe.
DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images
“The drone descended, ‘observed,’ and then flew away,” Kupin said in the video, according to a translated segment of the clip by the Kyiv Post. “When it returned, I noticed it was carrying something. I thought it was my end.”
The UAV was instead carrying a sign that read, “Drink, friend, and follow the drone.” Kupin, who could move by crawling due to his injuries, followed the drone for roughly 700 meters until Ukrainian troops could safely reach him, carrying him off the battlefield.
“I thank the guys very much for not leaving me,” Kupin said in the interview shared by Ukraine’s State Border Service, which was posted to the service’s social media. “Thanks to them, I stayed alive.”
The video included black-and-white footage of what appears to be the drone’s heat camera from when Kupin was first located. In the clip, the Ukrainian guard can be seen taking cover near some sort of structure. The State Border Service also shared footage of the moment service members were finally able to reach Kupin and take him off the battlefield. The guard is currently still receiving care in the hospital.
Newsweek reached out to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense via email for comment.
Kyiv’s drones have played an essential role in the country’s defense against Russia’s invasion, including in several rescue operations. According to a video shared by the AFU’s 95th assault brigade in January, another Ukrainian soldier who suffered injuries on the battlefield was led to safety using a UAV after being taken captive by Russia. That soldier was discovered in a Russian trench by one of Kyiv’s paratroopers.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.