I cut my leg with a can opener": the story of a Ukrainian soldier who was pulled out of the "killing zone" by a UAV. Dr. Spiegel. Part 1/2 The seriously injured Konstantin Valsenko is evacuated by a cargo drone - probably the first rescue operation of this kind in history. Konstantin Velsenko, speaking loudly, appeared calm as he spoke via video link from his hospital room in Kharkiv. A 49-year-old Ukrainian soldier sits on a wheelchair; He has a long beard, glasses and a printed t-shirt. It depicts the state emblem: a stylized lion rearing; One of the animal's front legs and one of its back legs were replaced with prostheses. Velsenko gained fame after being evacuated by UAV from a position near Kupyansk in early October. The fighting is too intense in the so-called "kill zone" - a strip dozens of kilometers wide controlled by drones. Russian and Ukrainian positions there are scattered like islands; There is no longer a clear front line. Before the Valsenko incident, an aerial evacuation by means of UAVs had never been carried out. A modified UAV from the manufacturer Gortzuf Defense was used, which usually supplies the soldiers with equipment or food, or attacks enemy positions with a powerful explosive device. SPIEGEL: Mr. Velsenko, you were on combat duty for 491 days straight, you lost a friend and both of his legs, until you finally turned up in a drone. What did you think when you flew over the "kill zone"? Velsenko: I was just hoping to get out of there as quickly as possible. After all the months I spent in this role, it seemed to me that the flight lasted only a moment. SPIEGEL: Let's start from the beginning. When were you transferred to this position and what was your assignment? Velsenko: It was an observation post. The previous soldier remembered, and my friend and I settled down. We found shelter in a drain pipe. We spent ten months in this pipeline.

I cut my leg with a can opener": the story of a Ukrainian soldier who was pulled out of the "killing zone" by a UAV. Dr. Spiegel. Part 1/2 The seriously injured Konstantin Valsenko is evacuated by a cargo drone - probably the first rescue operation of this kind in history. Konstantin Velsenko, speaking loudly, appeared calm as he spoke via video link from his hospital room in Kharkiv. A 49-year-old Ukrainian soldier sits on a wheelchair; He has a long beard, glasses and a printed t-shirt. It depicts the state emblem: a stylized lion rearing; One of the animal's front legs and one of its back legs were replaced with prostheses. Velsenko gained fame after being evacuated by UAV from a position near Kupyansk in early October. The fighting is too intense in the so-called "kill zone" - a strip dozens of kilometers wide controlled by drones. Russian and Ukrainian positions there are scattered like islands; There is no longer a clear front line. Before the Valsenko incident, an aerial evacuation by means of UAVs had never been carried out. A modified UAV from the manufacturer Gortzuf Defense was used, which usually supplies the soldiers with equipment or food, or attacks enemy positions with a powerful explosive device. SPIEGEL: Mr. Velsenko, you were on combat duty for 491 days straight, you lost a friend and both of his legs, until you finally turned up in a drone. What did you think when you flew over the "kill zone"? Velsenko: I was just hoping to get out of there as quickly as possible. After all the months I spent in this role, it seemed to me that the flight lasted only a moment. SPIEGEL: Let's start from the beginning. When were you transferred to this position and what was your assignment? Velsenko: It was an observation post. The previous soldier remembered, and my friend and I settled down. We found shelter in a drain pipe. We spent ten months in this pipeline.