Latest news with #Tankist
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Yahoo
Ukrainian Drone Delivers Emergency E-Bike To Surrounded Soldier
The Fourth Operational "Rubizh" Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine has saved the life of one of its soldiers by airlifting him an e-bike via drone delivery, and yes, this is what war looks like now. The soldier, callsign "Tankist," was part of a squad on the front line near Siversk in eastern Ukraine. Surrounded by the Russians, who deployed such high-tech tactics as literally throwing gas canisters and a lighter into their foxhole, three of the squad were killed. Tankist, however, managed to crawl his way out of the burning hole. As recounted in an official video from the brigade itself, things were pretty grim for Tankist at that point. The grizzled combat vet had injured his leg in the escape, bad enough that he couldn't get very far. He was forced to post up in place and try to fend off the surrounding Russians, assisted by bomber drone cover and encouragement from his commanders over the radio. Even though he was just one guy, the brigade wanted to pull their brother out. Only question was, how? Well, Ukraine has been nothing if not unconventional throughout this war, particularly in its use of drones, and this situation was no exception. Somebody came up with the idea of, essentially, a drone delivery service, but for an e-bike, which Tankist could just ride out of hell. That's a great idea! And, as it turned out, really hard to actually pull off. Read more: These Are The Worst Tire Recalls In Recent History How To Do A Drone Delivery Run In The Middle Of A War The brigade got their hands on a few Keteles models, which the company describes as "fat tire all terrain e-bikes." This would appear to be an excellent use case for exactly that. Problem was, each one weighed about 88 pounds, and the heavy bomber quadcopter drones were only rated to carry about half that. Utilizing the time-honored strategy of "just do it anyway," the brigade heroically sent out the bike-laden drone... which the Russians shot down. Undeterred, the unit tried again, but the second drone's motors blew out just trying to lift all that weight. Tankist, meanwhile, was still surrounded and alone. What could they do? Creativity came to the rescue again. They sent out the drone with the bike still unassembled, maybe making the payload a bit steadier by being more compact. This they flew to a waypoint nearer to Tankist, where a different squad assembled the bike and switched it on. The already-on bike was then carried the final distance to Tankist, under a smoke screen and covering fire from other bomber drones to fend off the Russians. Salvation from above! Except, not. Saving Tankist The heavy drone had winched the e-bike down on cables, and those cables had gotten tangled up in the wheels. Fortunately, Tankist was able to work out the kinks, literally, and then off he went, beelining it for the nearest Ukrainian position. Fortunately, no Russians shot at him. Unfortunately, he hit a landmine. Amazingly, the e-bike, which had already saved his life, now saved it a second time by taking the entirety of the blast itself. Though the noble steed was now slain, Tankist was no worse for wear. Not about to give up now, he just limped his way towards his goal. From the position he was trying to reach, two other Ukrainian soldiers ran out into the danger zone to help him along. Tankist finally made it back to friendly territory. But it wasn't over yet. His leg was still a mess, and he needed better medical attention than the front could provide. The brigade still needed to pull him farther out. How could they do that? Well, here's an idea: why not airlift an e-bike to him via drone delivery? Copying the exact same stunt they'd pulled off the first time, the brigade flew a disassembled bike to a waypoint, had the squad there assemble it and turn it on, then flew the last stretch to Tankist. This time, there were no tangled wires and no landmines: he just rode off under sunny skies, eventually getting where he needed to go. A soldier made it out of hell, thanks to an e-bike and a drone. War may be the worst, but sometimes, some pretty amazing stories come out of it. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Yahoo
Drones were just used to drop a vehicle on the battlefield for a stranded soldier, Ukrainian brigade says
A Ukrainian brigade said it used an FPV drone to deliver an escape bike to a trapped soldier. Its chief of staff said it took three tries with a Heavy Shot drone to make a successful drop. It's one of the first recorded instances of an FPV drone being used for such logistics in a warzone. A Ukrainian brigade said it used first-person-view drones to deliver e-bikes to a surrounded soldier, marking a rare instance where such devices were used to airlift a vehicle in battle. In a video published on Wednesday, the "Rubizh" 4th Brigade of Ukraine's National Guard said it dropped the roughly 88-pound e-bikes so the soldier could escape mostly Russian-controlled territory. While the brigade didn't say in the video when the operation occurred, it said the soldier had been trapped at a shelter near Siversk, a town in Donetsk, where fighting is still ongoing. "The enemy was in front, behind, and on both flanks. Completely surrounded," Mykola Hrytsenko, a junior lieutenant serving as the brigade's chief of staff, said in the video. The soldier, whom the brigade identified by the call sign Tankist, was the only survivor of four Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the area, Hrytsenko said. "The Siversk direction is known for incredibly difficult logistics. Almost none exists there. Guys have to walk six to seven kilometers on foot to reach a position," he said. Hrytsenko said his team crafted an evacuation plan that involved heavy cargo drones, such as the Baba Yaga or Heavy Shot, carrying a bicycle with an electric motor to the exhausted soldier's position. Such drones are typically used in Ukraine as bombers and are designed to deliver payloads of about 40 to 50 pounds, though they can also airlift cargo. Carrying a nearly 90-pound e-bike, Hrytsenko said, would push the drone to its limits and shorten its range to roughly 2 kilometers. It took three attempts, brigade says Hrytsenko said his team initially lost two drones trying to deliver e-bikes to the soldier. The first was shot down with the bike, while the second crashed because its motors burned out, he added. But the "Rubizh" brigade published clips of the third drone carrying the bike via a winch system and the soldier appearing to receive the bike. Business Insider could not independently verify the authenticity of the brigade's footage. Hrytsenko said the bike's parts were disassembled and brought to a nearby position on the frontline. Afterward, the vehicle was put together and flown to the soldier, he added. "Everyone in HQ was shouting and crying like we'd just launched the first plane in the sky," Hrytsenko said of the moment when the bike arrived. The brigade also showed surveillance drone footage of a soldier riding an e-bike through the battlefield. Hrytsenko said that while the soldier later struck a land mine, he was able to walk several hundred meters to a nearby friendly position, where drone pilots flew in another e-bike so he could fully exit the combat zone. "The operation cost us two lost e-bikes, around 100,000, and two lost HeavyShot drones, $15,000 each," Hrytsenko said, likely referring to 100,000 hryvnias, or about $2,340. The brigade said the soldier evacuated safely and showed interview clips of a man it said was Tankist. BI could not independently verify his identity. Hrytsenko added that the e-bikes were funded via donations from volunteers, a common occurrence in Ukraine, where units have to crowdfund for drones and weapons. "If you see a strange fundraiser for an e-bike, or a unicycle, don't be surprised. Maybe it will save a life," he said. First-person-view, or FPV, drones have been used for many non-combat functions during the war, such as dropping small items on the battlefield or compelling soldiers to surrender via loudspeaker. However, this marks one of the first times such a drone has been used to deliver a large asset like a vehicle during ongoing fighting. Given that the size of the payload may make a drone easier to spot while limiting its range, it's unclear if this tactic will become more commonplace. Read the original article on Business Insider
