Ukrainian Soldier Recounts Grueling Survival, First-Ever Drone Evacuation

A Ukrainian infantryman has recounted his harrowing 491-day ordeal in Russian-occupied territory, including the extreme measure of amputating his own leg and his subsequent history-making evacuation by drone. Kostiantyn Vlasenko, callsign 'Kostya', detailed his survival in the Kharkiv region, where he spent prolonged periods injured and isolated.

Initially sheltering in a concrete pipeline with a comrade, known as 'Baski', Vlasenko endured an eight-month stint as Russian drones made rescue attempts impossible. The pair were forced to relocate when the pipeline flooded in winter, finding refuge in an abandoned school. Tragically, Baski was killed on his 50th birthday during an artillery strike after a Russian drone dropped munitions. Vlasenko reported that his comrade died in his arms.

Following Baski's death, Vlasenko found himself alone. Russian forces attempted to elicit his surrender by broadcasting messages, but Vlasenko defiantly responded with the phrase, "Russian warship, go f*** yourself!"

Unable to move due to blast wounds and frostbite, Vlasenko crawled into a cast-iron furnace, which he inhabited for another eight months. During this time, his left foot rotted and fell off due to severe frostbite and lack of circulation. His right leg also became non-functional, described as 'dangling'. Faced with this dire situation, Vlasenko used a knife to amputate the remaining tissue of his right leg, a procedure he described as agonizing. "Tears were flowing, but I had to cut," he stated.

His commanders, aware of his precarious situation and the heavily mined terrain, devised an unprecedented rescue plan. They dropped a phone with instructions and a video tutorial on how to attach himself to a drone. A modified bomber drone then successfully evacuated Vlasenko, lifting him 120 meters into the air and transporting him 18 kilometers to safety. The flight was escorted by a fleet of Ukrainian drones, though one was reportedly lost to Russian forces.

"I have no words… A wonder. It is a miracle," Vlasenko said of his rescue. He also noted the irony of being the first soldier to be evacuated by drone, stating, "I don't like being first. I prefer being second."

Vlasenko, originally a truck driver from Kryvyi Rih, joined the Ukrainian army at the onset of the full-scale invasion. He was serving with the 2nd Battalion of Ukraine's 30th Mechanised Brigade when he was ordered to take over a position in a concrete drainage pipe in Kharkiv. The soldier he was meant to relieve had stepped on a mine, losing his toes and one foot while attempting to collect supplies. Vlasenko had assisted in evacuating that soldier before taking over the position himself.

Supplies and aid were intermittently delivered by drone to Vlasenko's position, and his wife, Tetyana, managed to send a parcel containing a Stephen King novel, 'The Outsider'. He expressed surprise that his wife knew of his fondness for the author.

He survived for months, enduring extreme loneliness and the constant threat of Russian surveillance and artillery. The extreme measures taken, including the self-amputation, were born out of a desperate will to survive, fueled by thoughts of his daughter, Khrystyna. "I hadn't given my daughter enough attention," he reflected. "Maybe it was the feeling that I wanted to change something. A thirst for life…"

The drone used for the evacuation, the 'Heavy Shot', was manufactured by Gurzuf Defence. Vlasenko is currently recovering in a hospital and undergoing rehabilitation.