Ukraine's Creative Tactics to Evacuate Wounded Soldiers

Ukraine's soldiers face a tough challenge. They can't always rush to help their hurt comrades. Often, they must wait for bad weather or create chaos to hide their rescues. This is because drones watch the battlefield all the time. It's hard to move around safely. Col. Valerii Vyshnivskyi shared this. He works with NATO to learn from Ukraine's war. He said soldiers wait for night, fog, or rain. These times make it harder for drones to see. Sometimes, they use smoke grenades. But this can attract Russia's attention. Drones have changed the game. Both Ukraine and Russia use them. They watch the battlefield and attack from far away. This makes it very dangerous to move around. It's almost impossible to get hurt soldiers to safety quickly. In the past, soldiers aimed to help hurt comrades within an hour. Now, it can take much longer. Vyshnivskyi said the situation has changed a lot. They now have a "golden day" instead of a "golden hour. " There are some ways to help. Ground robots are one. They lower the risk for medical crews. But Russian drones can track them. Sometimes, the robots have technical issues. This leaves wounded soldiers exposed.Evacuation routes are also under attack. Ukraine tries to protect them with anti-drone netting. But Russia still finds ways to strike. Even medical vehicles and facilities are at risk. Russia denies attacking them, but others say they do. Vyshnivskyi said they know how to resist artillery. But drones are still a big problem. This matches what others have said. Drones make quick rescues nearly impossible. They force a change in how medical care is given. American generals predicted this years ago. They said future wars could make combat medical care harder. Now, it's happening in Ukraine. Drones and missiles make it dangerous to move around. Both sides have taken heavy losses since the war started in 2022. Vyshnivskyi said NATO would face the same problems. He thinks they would see more casualties in a war with Russia. NATO leaders are preparing for this. They are looking for solutions to the problems Ukraine faces. Earlier this month, NATO hosted an event in London. Companies showed medical technology that could help. Some solutions can be used in Ukraine now. Others could help in future wars. Col. Niall Aye Maung works with NATO. He said some solutions have a dual purpose. They can help Ukraine now and the West in the future. NATO is getting ready for a possible high-intensity conflict. They are learning from Ukraine's experiences.