Ukraine rescues a wounded soldier from a Russian-watched minefield by flying him 18km to safety on a converted bomber drone

Injured infantryman 'Kostya' strapped himself into a harness and told his comrades: 'That's it, we can take off.' Ukraine's 92nd Assault Brigade calls Monday's mission the first battlefield air evacuation by drone in history. The craft was a Heavy Shot Ayudag-6 hexacopter built by Gurzuf Defence, rated to lift 90kg. The soldier is now stable and undergoing treatment.

Landmines and Russian kamikaze drones made a ground rescue on the Kharkiv front impossible.

A fleet of smaller drones escorted the hexacopter and guarded Kostya on the flight out.

'This is an historic event,' said squad leader and programmer Napalm.