Ukrainian troops rescue eight from Lyman
A soldier took drone fire to protect civilians during a two-day extraction in Donetsk Oblast.
By Ahmed Peterson ·
Eight civilians left the front lines in Lyman, Donetsk Oblast, following a two-day operation by the 63rd Separate Mechanised Brigade.
The evacuation was led by the 7th Company of the 3rd Mechanised Battalion. Soldiers began the extraction immediately after completing a combat mission. A search-and-strike team provided ground support. This unit included five legionnaires from France and the United States. Their callsigns were Flash, Cowboy, Spad, Chandra, and Fanta. Aerial reconnaissance monitored the routes to identify potential Russian ambushes.
Logistical support came from a mortar battery and a ground robotic systems unit. These assets facilitated the use of a MaxxPro armoured personnel carrier for the crossing.
During the final stage of the mission, a Russian FPV drone attacked the group. One soldier placed his body over the civilians to shield them. He sustained a serious injury in the process but survived. The reconnaissance platoon rescued him from the field.
The group included an elderly woman, three wheelchair users with disabilities, and a man with a severe leg injury. All eight civilians reached safety.
Ukrainian forces previously used a heavy hexacopter to extract a wounded infantryman from the front line. That soldier continued to repel Russian attacks while waiting for the aircraft.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
