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A breakthrough came in early October when a drone-delivered parcel contained an unusual harness and a phone loaded with instructional videos.
Vlasenko is recovering in hospital in the city of Kharkiv after his ordeal ended this month. (Reuters)
After spending 491 days in a frontline position in Ukraine, soldier Kostiantyn Vlasenko was finally rescued in a daring operation involving a heavy-lift drone. The 49-year-old had spent nearly eight months alone in a cramped space beneath the boiler of a destroyed school, unable to escape because of constant Russian drone surveillance.
Vlasenko had lost his left foot in a Russian drone strike, while his right leg deteriorated so severely that he eventually amputated it himself using a knife and a brick. His comrade had been killed, and repeated attempts to reach the position had ended in tragedy.
“If you didn’t see it, it saw you,” he told Ukrainian media outlet Censor.net, describing the constant threat posed by Russian drones.
With roads inaccessible to trucks and armoured vehicles, rescuers struggled to reach him. Two ground robots dispatched to his position were also destroyed, according to the officer who planned the mission.
A breakthrough came in early October when a drone-delivered parcel contained an unusual harness and a phone loaded with instructional videos. On October 4, a large six-propeller drone arrived at his location. Vlasenko secured himself to the hook attached to its winch and was lifted approximately 70 metres into the air before being flown about 15 km (9 miles) across the frontline to safety.
From A Frontline Post To An Isolated Shelter
Vlasenko had been deployed the previous year to a frontline position known as Vertun, where he was stationed alongside a fellow soldier whose call sign was Basky. According to his account, their post consisted of a concrete drainage pipe and an adjoining dug-out shelter.
Drone deliveries supplied the pair with food and other necessities. On Vlasenko’s birthday, the parcels reportedly included chocolate and premium cigarettes.
The situation worsened as Russian drones increasingly dominated the skies.
“They had so many of their mavics, their drones, that the sky was dirty,” he said.
Two soldiers sent to relieve the pair were killed before reaching their position. Two more died while attempting to retrieve their bodies. Vlasenko subsequently asked his commanders not to send additional personnel to rescue them.
“I’d rather die alone than have them die even more,” he said.
Flooded Foxhole Forced Soldiers Into Ruined School
By mid-February, flooding had made their foxhole uninhabitable, forcing Vlasenko and Basky to move into a damaged school. Their movements were soon detected by a Russian surveillance drone as they ventured out to collect a parcel containing food and dry clothes. Another drone then attacked them.
Basky died on February 16, his 50th birthday. Vlasenko suffered injuries to his left foot, which eventually rotted away, while his right leg was severely damaged in the fall.
“I was already on all fours, just crawling,” he said.
Unable to move properly, he sought refuge in a small space beneath the school’s old boiler, where he remained for months.
‘Your Comrades Won’t Save You’
During his isolation, a Russian drone dropped a loudspeaker near his shelter. Vlasenko said a recorded message played through it.
“Brother, we know you’re here. Believe me, your comrades won’t save you,” it said.
Despite the threat, he continued receiving supplies by drone every four to five days. The deliveries included food, medicines, cigarettes and sweets, according to Ukrainian outlet Oboronka.
Radio communication with others helped him cope with the isolation.
“It was happiness for me that I wasn’t alone, that I could hear someone,” he said.
Vlasenko also expressed gratitude that his unit continued supporting him throughout the ordeal.
“It was very lonely. They didn’t abandon me; my command didn’t abandon me,” he said.
His wife sent him a book by Stephen King, which he read while confined to the shelter.
As his right leg continued to deteriorate, the bone began protruding through his skin, he told the Ukrainian outlet. Crawling out to retrieve supply parcels further aggravated the injury, eventually convincing him that he had to amputate the limb himself.
“I put it on a brick, took a knife,” he said. “Tears were flowing; I had to cut it.”
He used a tourniquet to control the bleeding and later made light of his condition while speaking to his commander.
“I don’t have flat feet and a size 44 now.”
Recalling the sequence of events, he said, “In April I lost my left foot, which rotted away on its own, and in May I cut off my right one myself.
Six Months Of Planning For A Drone Rescue
The rescue operation originated with an idea proposed by an officer known by the call sign Alex, who oversees drone operations within the battalion. According to Oboronka, approximately six months elapsed between the initial proposal and the mission itself.
Military officers subsequently learned about a heavy-lift drone developed by Ukrainian manufacturer Gurzuf Defence. The machine, featuring six rotors and a black frame, resembled a giant insect.
After more than a year at the frontline, Vlasenko was estimated to weigh around 70 kg.
The operation carried considerable risks, as large, slow-moving drones were vulnerable to attacks from smaller Russian drones. Preparations intensified in early October, when Vlasenko received the harness and a phone containing instructional videos in a supply parcel. The pilot, known by the call sign Black, had also provided notes in Ukrainian and Russian.
15 Km Flight Across The Frontline
The evacuation took place on October 4, with three smaller drones accompanying the heavy-lift aircraft as decoys.
For two hours, attack drones, artillery and fixed-wing drones targeted known Russian drone positions. Two ground teams were stationed along the flight route to replace the batteries, while units from the 30th, 14th and 43rd mechanised brigades and the 10th Army Corps participated in the mission, Oboronka reported.
Vlasenko said one of the escort drones was shot down during the operation. While the height did not frighten him, crossing a river proved more concerning.
“What I was afraid of was water,” he said, as the drone travelled over the river. “I can’t swim.”
During the flight, he signalled “okay” and formed a heart shape for the drone’s camera.
Black, who remotely controlled the aircraft, described the responsibility he felt while transporting the injured soldier.
“I understood that there was a person below: I wanted to deliver him as quickly and as safely as possible,” he told Oboronka.
The Ukrainian military has described the mission as the first rescue of its kind.
Following the evacuation, Vlasenko was taken to a military hospital in Kharkiv, where he has undergone several operations. He will require artificial limbs and rehabilitation.
Asked what had helped him endure the prolonged ordeal, Vlasenko spoke about his daughter, with whom he had not been able to communicate for a long time.
“I haven’t talked to my daughter for a long time,” he said. “Maybe she’ll understand me, because Dad was at war.”
Quick Answers
Ask News18After losing his feet due to a drone strike and a severe injury that forced him to amputate his own right leg, Kostiantyn Vlasenko survived in a space beneath a ruined school by receiving food, medicine, and supplies delivered via regular drone drops.
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Aanchal is the Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than four years of experience in national and international news. My work involves covering breaking news, politics, current affairs and developments…Read More
October 25, 2026, 08:18 IST
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