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Ukrainian Soldier’s Self-Amputation and Drone Rescue After Eight-Month Front-Line Ordeal
By Drooid · · How we work
Self-Amputation and Survival on the Front Line
Konstantin Vlasenko, a 49-year-old member of Ukraine’s 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade, recounted that he was forced to amputate his own lower right leg with a knife after being pinned near Kup’yansk for eight months. He said his left foot had already detached from severe frostbite, and the right leg became gangrenous, prompting him to place the limb on a brick and cut it off himself.
Isolation, Injuries, and Limited Support
Vlasenko and a fellow soldier, identified only as Baski, were trapped in a ruined school after a Russian drone strike in mid-February. Baski was killed, and Vlasenko sustained a serious leg injury. For weeks he survived by crawling into an old cast-iron furnace and receiving food, water and medical supplies dropped from Ukrainian drones. He also received a Stephen King novel in a survival package.
Drone-Based Extraction
Earlier this month, Ukrainian forces deployed a heavy-lift hexacopter—originally a bomber airframe modified by the Ukrainian Army and Gurzuf Defense—to extract Vlasenko. The aircraft lifted him more than 300 feet, carried him 11 miles over hostile territory, and escorted him with attack drones. Vlasenko was given a cell phone with instructions on how to secure himself beneath the aircraft. He later recalled fearing that the drone would be shot down over a river, noting, “I can’t swim.”
Official Statements & Responses
Vlasenko expressed disbelief at the rescue’s success, saying there were “no words” and thanking those involved. Ukrainian outlets reported that the operation was conducted under heavy Russian fire and that the soldier is now in a Kharkiv hospital undergoing rehabilitation and awaiting prosthetic limbs.
Impact and Rehabilitation Outlook
The incident highlights both the extreme conditions faced by isolated frontline soldiers and the expanding role of unmanned aerial systems in combat rescue missions. Medical staff anticipate a prolonged rehabilitation period for Vlasenko, who must adapt to life without either leg and receive prosthetic fittings in the coming months.