Wounded soldier, surrounded ‘on all sides’ for days by Russian forces, flees on two-wheels

The first drone to attempt to deliver the bike was shot down and the second one malfunctioned, however the third attempt was successful. Photo / @sylasvobody_44 via YouTube

An injured Ukrainian soldier stranded for several days behind enemy lines managed to escape after being delivered an e-bike by a drone.

Footage shared by the Rubizh brigade appears to show an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) winching the bicycle down to the wounded man, who was reportedly surrounded by Russian forces, before he cycles away at speed.

The brigade said three of its troops had been killed by enemy fire during the operation around Siversk, northern Ukraine, leaving the remaining soldier to hold down the position alone.

Speaking to camera, the soldier, call sign “Tanker”, said: “Our drones covered us from above as best as they could. Then they threw two gas cylinders straight into our hole and a lighter. We caught fire.”

Sustaining a leg injury in the attack, the remaining soldier was left unable to evacuate without assistance.

“Every day, I was surrounded, from all sides. I fought back as best I could,” he said, adding that he was stranded there for around four to five days.

Mykola Gritsenko, a chief of staff in the brigade, said a rescue team could not reach the wounded soldier without risking their own safety.

“It was impossible to drive up with equipment because the enemy was everywhere. He couldn’t get out on his own either, because he had to walk 1.5km to the nearest position.

“In his condition, with his injuries and lower limbs, he simply wouldn’t have made it.”

It was at this point the brigade decided to airlift an e-bike to the wounded soldier using a drone.

UAVs have become an integral tool in the Ukraine’s armoury during its war with Russia, allowing troops to navigate behind enemy lines without risking soldiers’ lives.

But while the remotely operated technology is generally loaded with explosives and used for offensive purposes, there is little evidence of them being used in evacuation situations.

The Battalion Freedom Force brigade said two initial attempts to deliver the bike to the wounded serviceman were unsuccessful, with the vehicle first being shot down and then the drones’ motors burning out.

But a third effort proved successful, with the soldier making it 400m on the electric bike, before hitting a remote mine and being thrown into the air.

He limped a further 200m, before being met by his comrades and pulled to safety.

The decision was then taken to deliver a second e-bike to the wounded soldier, which he rode for 15 minutes until he reached a safe zone and could be evacuated.

“To carry out this operation, they had to calculate the right time of day, the right weather conditions that would allow him to do it,” said Gritsenko.

“The weight of this electric bike itself reaches almost 40kg.”

This latest footage emerged as Russia launched a wave of drone and missile attacks on Kyiv overnight, killing 16 people, including a 6-year-old boy and his mother, Ukrainian officials said.

The offensive targeted 27 locations across the capital, including the children’s ward of a hospital in Shevchenkivskyi district, they added.

Commenting on the strike, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, said: “Today, the world once again saw Russia’s response to our desire for peace, shared with America and Europe. New, showcase killings.”

He added: “That is why peace without strength is impossible. But forcing Moscow to make peace, compelling them to come to a real negotiating table – all the tools needed for this are in the hands of our partners.”