Ukraine develops drone to evacuate wounded soldiers from the front: What to know

This week, the first StarGate was delivered to a combat brigade for evaluation in frontline conditions. If the drone proves reliable in combat, it could radically change medical evacuation, reaching wounded soldiers in areas inaccessible to ground vehicles.

Request from front line, 'kill zone' problem

The SkyFall representative says the idea for the drone came directly from the military. Last year, the commander of the 475th Separate Assault Regiment (unit Code 9.2), call sign Flint, asked the company's founder to develop a safe way to evacuate wounded soldiers from hard-to-reach positions.

"The idea came directly from the front line, from the trenches," a SkyFall representative said.

In some sectors, the so-called "kill zone"—an area under constant fire control by enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups, artillery, and drones—now extends 10 to 15 kilometers.

Evacuating wounded soldiers on foot through these areas is extremely risky, while ground robotic systems struggle to navigate mud, shell craters, and mined routes. Rivers, mines, and drones can bring them to a complete halt.

"Ground robots typically take two to three hours to reach a position. Covering 10 kilometers in minutes would be a drastic change on the front line," said the commander with the call sign KVN from the Code 9.2 unit.

He added that wounded soldiers are evacuated regularly, but the intensity of shelling means they cannot always be retrieved the same day. In critical cases, however, every hour of waiting can cost a life.

SkyFall has developed the StarGate drone to evacuate soldiers from the battlefield (photo: SkyFall)

Technical specifications, electronic warfare resistance

SkyFall developed the StarGate drone over the past year. SkyFall is also known for creating the heavy attack drone Vampire, known to Russians as "Baba Yaga," the Shrike FPV drones, and the P1-SUN aerial interceptor.

Key StarGate specifications:

• Payload capacity: Up to 150 kg (designed to carry a fully equipped soldier with their gear)

• Design: A cabin built around a medical stretcher, with removable brackets for easier transport

• Speed: Cruising speed of 65 km/h, with a maximum speed of up to 105 km/h

• Range: 15 km one way

• Preflight preparation time: About 10 minutes

During a demonstration, StarGate successfully completed tests under electronic warfare (EW) conditions and simulated attacks by enemy FPV drones. The evacuation drone brought down one of the attacking drones with a net. The encounter resembles a futuristic duel between machines, but rescuing a wounded soldier remains the top priority.

SkyFall's StarGate can make a drastic change on the front line (photo: SkyFall)

One of the biggest challenges for the developers was ensuring that the drone could navigate when electronic warfare systems disrupt communications or interfere with GPS signals.

Read also: Ukraine's SkyFall introduces P1-SUN Jetkiller for intercepting jet-powered Shaheds

To protect against signal loss, StarGate uses redundant communication channels: Starlink and the company's own L-Link system. The developers added that the drone is manually controlled but has several artificial intelligence features that let it operate even in areas without GPS or where radio frequencies are jammed or spoofed.

This enables the drone to navigate without a GPS signal and automatically plot a route back to a safe zone.

The drone can also operate in rain and snow. It has thermal imaging cameras for nighttime missions, and its design lets it keep flying even if it loses one propeller arm.

Production plans, mass manufacturing

According to SkyFall's estimates, a StarGate system will cost from $50,000, depending on its configuration. By the end of 2026, the company plans to ramp up production to as many as 1,000 units per month.

The Code 9.2 unit has now begun a month-long trial of the drone in real combat conditions. The results will help assess the new evacuation system's effectiveness.

"It's a completely new method of evacuation. It's difficult to talk in depth about the pros and cons right now. We need to work with it more," KVN added.

Earlier, we reported how SkyFall's Vampire drone delivered food to civilians in the temporarily occupied city of Oleshky.