First soldier evacuated by drone takes first steps on prosthetic legs
Ukrainian serviceman Kostiantyn Vlasenko, the first person in history evacuated from a position by drone, has begun walking on prostheses after both legs were amputated. The Superhumans Center reported the news.
Kostiantyn "Magura" Vlasenko, a Ukrainian serviceman and Hero of Ukraine, has taken his first steps on prosthetic legs after having both legs amputated. He is the first person in history to be evacuated from a combat position by drone. The Superhumans Center, which provides rehabilitation for wounded soldiers, announced this on social media. The story matters as an example of a new evacuation method and of recovery after severe injury.
According to the centre, Kostiantyn began using prostheses only two weeks after arriving there. He said he had dreamed of walking on prostheses since the day he was admitted to hospital, described himself as "a little impatient" and said that, had he been able to, he would have walked to the centre himself the next day. Taking his first steps, he said: "I'll be splashing through puddles now. It's crazy how high up I am. Awesome."
What happened at the front
Kostiantyn spent almost 500 days in the grey zone on the Kupiansk front. During a move to a backup location, a brother-in-arms went missing, and Kostiantyn himself was severely wounded in February 2026. He had to amputate his own feet, which made it impossible for him to leave his position. Despite his injuries, he continued to carry out combat tasks, including covertly observing Russian forces.
In October, Ukraine's defence forces carried out the first-ever medical evacuation of a wounded soldier using a heavy UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). Kostiantyn spent less than an hour and a half in the air and covered 16 km.
"Alex", the reconnaissance chief overseeing UAV operations for the 2nd Mechanised Battalion in which Kostiantyn served, said: "The soldier was exceptionally quick-thinking and determined to survive. We had already dropped off his equipment and instructions. When the quadcopter approached, he did everything exactly as instructed, as quickly as possible. There was no panic or hesitation – the whole thing took just seconds and went exactly to plan."
Kostiantyn was later taken to hospital, and the president conferred the title of Hero of Ukraine on him.
